ManusJustus said:
There are a lot less libertarians and communists for a reason, and people who think they fall under that category probably arent as extreme as they think they are. My reasoning is as follows: People want some freedom and some control in their lives. Most people who want the market to be as free as possible also want to control their social environment by limiting gay rights, putting more religion into politics, and taking social freedoms away to protect themselves from terrorists (Patriot Act). However, most people who want more control over the economy also want more social freedoms. This is why most people (in respect to this test and system of analysis) lay somewhere on a diagonal line from social conservative and economic liberal (upper right corner) to social liberal and economic conservative/authoritarian (lower left corner). Effectively choosing where they want freedom and where they want some control in their lives. |
You tend not to see too many people who fall along the other diagonal primarily because the questions do not do an adequate job of testing people's beliefs in these areas ...
For example, if you ask people whether they believe that it is the role of the government to actively promote "Equality" and "Social Justice" (and/or potentially refer to things like Afirmative Action or Hate Crimes legislation) you're asking a question which would indicate a very statist belief from a more socially progressive individual.
