8values political values quiz
8values is an open-source quiz of seventy statements about the economy, other countries, the state and society, which places your answers on four axes[1]. It is an open-source quiz, not a validated instrument. This page prints the whole quiz as this site uses it: all of its statements with their weights, how they are scored, the licence it is used under and where it comes from.
- Measures
- Economic (econ), Diplomatic (dipl), Civil (govt), and Societal (scty)
- The statements
- 70
- Licence
- MIT licence
- Statements from
- github.com
- Used on this site by
- Political values test
What it is
8values was published by volunteers as open-source software on GitHub, which is why the source below names "8values contributors" and not a team of researchers. No research paper describes it and no study has checked that it measures what it says it does. That sets it apart from the other questionnaires on this site, and this site never presents it as a psychological instrument.
Each statement is a sentence about politics, for example "It is necessary for the government to intervene in the economy to protect consumers". You say how much you agree, from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The four axes run between markets and equality, nation and globe, authority and liberty, and tradition and progress.
Scoring in plain words
Every answer has a multiplier: minus one for strongly disagree, minus a half for disagree, zero for neutral, a half for agree and one for strongly agree. Every statement carries a weight on each axis, printed beside it in the list below: a plus means that agreeing moves the axis one way, a minus that it moves it the other way, and most statements move only one or two axes.
For each axis, the multiplier of your answer is multiplied by the statement's weight, and these products are added up over all statements. That total is then placed between the lowest and the highest total the axis can reach, as a score from 0 to 100 in which 50 is the middle. No statement is counted backwards: the weights already say which way each one points.
What it can and cannot tell you
Where you land depends on how the volunteers worded and weighed the statements. Many people find that some statements do not fit their views, or that the answer depends on the details, and a place in the middle of an axis can mean mixed views as easily as a lack of any. The result is a way to think about your own answers, and nothing more.
Because nothing here has been validated, this site compares you with no one and gives no norms for it. What you see on the test page describes your answers only, and your answers stay in your browser.
The licence
The quiz is published under the MIT licence, which lets anyone use and change it as long as the copyright notice and the permission notice come with it. Both are printed below word for word.
Where you can try it here
The political values test asks these statements and shows the four axes, on a page that carries no advertisements. How the site works out and words its results is described on the methodology page.
The questionnaire as we use it
The authors' instructions
You will be presented with a series of statements. For each one, click the button with your opinion on it.
The statements
Each statement stands alone. Beside it: the weight it carries on each axis (econ, dipl, govt, scty), a plus for agreeing moving the axis up and a minus for moving it down.
- Oppression by corporations is more of a concern than oppression by governments.econ +10, govt −5
- It is necessary for the government to intervene in the economy to protect consumers.econ +10
- The freer the markets, the freer the people.econ −10
- It is better to maintain a balanced budget than to ensure welfare for all citizens.econ −10
- Publicly-funded research is more beneficial to the people than leaving it to the market.econ +10, scty +10
- Tariffs on international trade are important to encourage local production.econ +5, govt −10
- From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.econ +10
- It would be best if social programs were abolished in favor of private charity.econ −10
- Taxes should be increased on the rich to provide for the poor.econ +10
- Inheritance is a legitimate form of wealth.econ −10, scty −5
- Basic utilities like roads and electricity should be publicly owned.econ +10
- Government intervention is a threat to the economy.econ −10
- Those with a greater ability to pay should receive better healthcare.econ −10
- Quality education is a right of all people.econ +10, scty +5
- The means of production should belong to the workers who use them.econ +10
- The United Nations should be abolished.dipl −10, govt −5
- Military action by our nation is often necessary to protect it.dipl −10, govt −10
- I support regional unions, such as the European Union.econ −5, dipl +10, govt +10, scty +5
- It is important to maintain our national sovereignty.dipl −10, govt −5
- A united world government would be beneficial to mankind.dipl +10
- It is more important to retain peaceful relations than to further our strength.dipl +10
- Wars do not need to be justified to other countries.dipl −10, govt −10
- Military spending is a waste of money.dipl +10, govt +10
- International aid is a waste of money.econ −5, dipl −10
- My nation is great.dipl −10
- Research should be conducted on an international scale.dipl +10, scty +10
- Governments should be accountable to the international community.dipl +10, govt +5
- Even when protesting an authoritarian government, violence is not acceptable.dipl +5, govt −5
- My religious values should be spread as much as possible.dipl −5, govt −10, scty −10
- Our nation's values should be spread as much as possible.dipl −10, govt −5
- It is very important to maintain law and order.dipl −5, govt −10, scty −5
- The general populace makes poor decisions.govt −10
- Physician-assisted suicide should be legal.govt +10
- The sacrifice of some civil liberties is necessary to protect us from acts of terrorism.govt −10
- Government surveillance is necessary in the modern world.govt −10
- The very existence of the state is a threat to our liberty.govt +10
- Regardless of political opinions, it is important to side with your country.dipl −10, govt −10, scty −5
- All authority should be questioned.govt +10, scty +5
- A hierarchical state is best.govt −10
- It is important that the government follows the majority opinion, even if it is wrong.govt +10
- The stronger the leadership, the better.dipl −10, govt −10
- Democracy is more than a decision-making process.govt +10
- Environmental regulations are essential.econ +5, scty +10
- A better world will come from automation, science, and technology.scty +10
- Children should be educated in religious or traditional values.govt −5, scty −10
- Traditions are of no value on their own.scty +10
- Religion should play a role in government.govt −10, scty −10
- Churches should be taxed the same way other institutions are taxed.econ +5, scty +10
- Climate change is currently one of the greatest threats to our way of life.scty +10
- It is important that we work as a united world to combat climate change.dipl +10, scty +10
- Society was better many years ago than it is now.scty −10
- It is important that we maintain the traditions of our past.scty −10
- It is important that we think in the long term, beyond our lifespans.scty +10
- Reason is more important than maintaining our culture.scty +10
- Drug use should be legalized or decriminalized.govt +10, scty +2
- Same-sex marriage should be legal.govt +10, scty +10
- No cultures are superior to others.dipl +10, govt +5, scty +10
- Sex outside marriage is immoral.govt −5, scty −10
- If we accept migrants at all, it is important that they assimilate into our culture.govt −5, scty −10
- Abortion should be prohibited in most or all cases.govt −10, scty −10
- Gun ownership should be prohibited for those without a valid reason.govt −10
- I support single-payer, universal healthcare.econ +10
- Prostitution should be illegal.govt −10, scty −10
- Maintaining family values is essential.scty −10
- To chase progress at all costs is dangerous.scty −10
- Genetic modification is a force for good, even on humans.scty +10
- We should open our borders to immigration.dipl +10, govt +10
- Governments should be as concerned about foreigners as they are about their own citizens.dipl +10
- All people - regardless of factors like culture or sexuality - should be treated equally.econ +10, dipl +10, govt +10, scty +10
- It is important that we further my group's goals above all others.econ −10, dipl −10, govt −10, scty −10
Answers, from 1 to 5
- 1 Strongly Disagree
- 2 Disagree
- 3 Neutral/Unsure
- 4 Agree
- 5 Strongly Agree
How it is scored
- Economic (econ): a weighted total of statements 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 24, 43, 48, 62, 69, 70, with the weights printed beside them.
- Diplomatic (dipl): a weighted total of statements 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 37, 41, 50, 57, 67, 68, 69, 70, with the weights printed beside them.
- Civil (govt): a weighted total of statements 1, 6, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 45, 47, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 63, 67, 69, 70, with the weights printed beside them.
- Societal (scty): a weighted total of statements 5, 10, 14, 18, 26, 29, 31, 37, 38, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 63, 64, 65, 66, 69, 70, with the weights printed beside them.
No statement is counted backwards. Each answer has a multiplier: minus one for strongly disagree, minus a half for disagree, zero for neutral, a half for agree and one for strongly agree. Multiply it by the statement's weight on the axis and add these up. The axis is then the sum of the weights' sizes plus that total, divided by twice the sum of the weights' sizes, as a score from 0 to 100 where 50 is the middle.
Licence
MIT License
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
Copyright (c) 2020 8values. http://8values.github.io. Full licence text: legal/THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES/8values.MIT.txt
https://github.com/8values/8values.github.io/blob/3971ed8bc0c3dda18f9b001013327f382343b74f/LICENSE
Read at the source on October 1, 2026.
How to cite it
8values contributors (2021). 8values. GitHub repository, commit 3971ed8.
Sources
- 8values contributors (2021). 8values. GitHub repository, commit 3971ed8.https://github.com/8values/8values.github.io