What this axis measures
The economic axis asks a question every society has to answer: how should wealth, income and productive resources be distributed, and who should decide? At one end, the Equality pole represents the view that resources should be shared more evenly, through public services, progressive taxation, strong unions, redistribution and, at the far end, social or common ownership. At the other end, the Markets pole represents the view that free exchange, private property and competition allocate resources best, with low taxes and limited regulation, and at the far end, no state involvement in the economy at all.
This is the oldest and most familiar dimension of political disagreement. When people speak of "left" and "right" without further explanation, they usually mean positions on this axis. Our test treats it as one of eight dimensions, because economic views alone don't predict someone's position on immigration, religion, the environment or the use of state power.
The Equality pole
People who score towards Equality typically believe that large gaps in wealth are unjust or harmful, that markets left alone concentrate power, and that essentials such as healthcare, education and housing should not depend on ability to pay. Their arguments include fairness (much of what people earn depends on luck of birth and circumstance), democracy (concentrated wealth buys political influence), and social cohesion (very unequal societies may have weaker trust).
The Equality pole contains very different traditions. Social democrats want regulated capitalism with a strong welfare state. Democratic socialists want much larger public and cooperative ownership. Marxist-Leninists favour state ownership and planning. Anarcho-communists want common ownership without any state. A high Equality score tells you that you prioritise distribution; your other scores, especially Authority vs Liberty, tell you which of these traditions you're nearest.
The Markets pole
People who score towards Markets typically believe that voluntary exchange benefits both parties, that prices carry information no planner can gather, that competition drives innovation and lowers costs, and that property rights protect individuals from the state. They often argue that economic growth, not redistribution, has done most to reduce poverty, and that taxation and regulation carry hidden costs.
This pole also has internal variety. Classical liberals accept a limited state that provides public goods. Neoliberals use state institutions to create and protect markets. Libertarians want a minimal state. Anarcho-capitalists want none. Fiscal conservatives combine market economics with traditional social values.
The middle
A score near zero usually means you accept a mixed economy, where markets do most of the work but government provides services, a safety net and regulation. Many centrists, social liberals and Christian democrats sit here. A middle score can also mean you hold strong views that point in different directions, such as favouring free trade but also universal public healthcare.
A short history of the debate
Debates about property and distribution go back to antiquity, but the modern axis took shape in the industrial era. Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations (1776) made the case for markets; Karl Marx's Capital (1867) analysed capitalism as a system of exploitation. In the twentieth century, the Great Depression led many countries towards Keynesian management and welfare states, while the Soviet Union pursued central planning. From the late 1970s, many governments moved back towards markets. Since 2008, debates over inequality, industrial policy and the role of the state have revived.
How the test measures it
The economic axis is measured through a mixture of statement items (agree/disagree), short scenarios that ask how you'd handle a specific policy choice, and forced-choice items that ask you to pick between two trade-offs. Items cover taxation, public ownership, welfare, labour rights, trade, regulation and inheritance. Some items are worded towards Equality and others towards Markets, to reduce the effect of simply agreeing with everything.
How to read your score
Your score runs from −100 (Markets) to +100 (Equality). Scores beyond about ±60 suggest a consistent and strong orientation. Scores between about ±20 and ±60 indicate a clear lean with some exceptions. Scores within about ±20 suggest a mixed or moderate view. Treat these as rough guides rather than hard categories: a single answer can move your score by a few points.
Ideologies at each end
Closest to the Equality pole are anarcho-communism and Marxism-Leninism, followed by libertarian socialism and democratic socialism. Closest to the Markets pole are anarcho-capitalism and libertarianism, followed by neoliberalism and fiscal conservatism. Traditions such as Georgism, distributism and Christian democracy sit in between, each with a distinctive mix.
Questions to reflect on
- Do you think inequality is mainly a problem in itself, or only when people are poor?
- Should essential services be provided by the government, the market, or a mix?
- Is wealth mostly earned, mostly inherited, or mostly a matter of luck?
- Which concerns you more: concentrated private power or concentrated government power?
Your answers to these questions tend to predict where you'll land on this axis, but the test asks about specific policies, which is often more revealing than abstract principles.