LIBERAL or CONSERVATIVE?
Political Ideologies Self-Test
1) Generally, do you tend to trust or distrust government's ability to solve problems?
a) Trust
b) Distrust
2) Which do you trust more to do a good job? (Provide five choices, one choice from each pair.)
 The Pentagon (A) or the U.S. Postal Service (B)?
 The executive branch (C) or the legislative branch (D)?
 The IRS (E) or the FBI (F)?
 The CIA (G) or the Peace Corps (H)?
 The Joint Chiefs (I) or the United Nations (J)?
3. What about private institutions and people? Which do you trust more? (Provide three choices, one
choice from each pair)
 Trial lawyers (A) or doctors (B)?
 Union leaders (C) or business executives (D)?
 Professional athletes (E) or team owners (F)?
4. The federal government should do more to solve the nation's problems even if it means higher taxes
on: (Pick as many as you want.)
A. You
D. Small Businesses
B. the Middle Class
E. the Wealthy
C. Big Corporations
F. None of these groups should pay higher taxes
5. Where should government spending be cut? (Pick as many as you want.)
A. Subsidies to the arts
F. Foreign aid
B. Public broadcasting (like PBS and
G. Funding for illegal immigrants to receive
National Public Radio)
public education
C. Entitlement programs (Social Security,
H. Environmental regulation/protection
Medicaid, etc.)
I. Taxes should be cut for all Americans.
D. Defense spending
K. None of these -- Don't cut government
E. Welfare spending
spending at all
6. Which would do more to guarantee competitive elections?
A. Limits on how many terms a politician can be elected to serve to prevent "career politicians"
B. Public financing of political campaigns to remove the influence of campaign donations
7. Do you see the ideal America as an ethnic "melting pot" in which religious, cultural and ethnic
distinctions are put aside and immigrants are expected to assimilate, or as a nation in which
ethnically diverse groups ought to coexist while retaining their cultural identity?
A. Melting Pot
B. Multicultural Society
8. In the long run, do you think we can reduce crime more by building more prisons or by providing
more financial assistance to the poor and needy?
A. Build prisons
B. Assistance to the poor and needy
C. Both
9. Who was a better president?
A. George W. Bush (the younger Bush president)
B. Bill Clinton
10. Do you believe that America should increase efforts to catch and return illegal immigrants?
(Choose one.)
A. Yes, Illegal immigrants do damage to American neighborhoods and take American jobs.
B. Yes, immigrants who come here illegally are violating our laws. We must enforce the laws we
have. Immigrants should only be allowed if they came here legally.
C. No, most immigrants work hard and provide valuable low-cost labor to help our economy.
D. No. Our immigration laws are unfair to immigrants and thus should not be enforced.
11. Which would reduce violent crime the most?
A. Stricter controls on the sale of guns
B. Longer prison sentences for those who use guns in the commission of a crime
C. Both
Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with each of the following statements:
12. Even if it means cutting programs, spending must be cut to reduce the federal deficit.
A. Agree
B. Disagree
13. The federal government is too big.
A. Agree
B. Disagree
14. Use of military force is more effective than diplomacy and cooperation with other countries in trying to prevent
terrorism around the world.
A. Agree
B. Disagree
15. Gays and lesbians should be able to marry (or at least be treated as married under law).
A. Agree
B. Disagree
16. The news media is dominated by liberals.
A. Agree
B. Disagree
17. We should remove all American troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
A. Agree
B. Disagree
18. The federal government should include funds to make abortion services part of any standard benefits package
in health care reform.
A. Agree
B. Disagree
19. Labor unions are bad for the American economy.
A. Agree
B. Disagree
20. Graphic pornography should be made illegal.
A. Agree
B. Disagree
21. As a society, we should spend more money trying to find a cure for AIDS than for cancer and heart disease
because AIDS threatens younger people.
A. Agree
B. Disagree
22. Health care is a right. As such it should be provided to all citizens, regardless of whether they can pay for it.
A. Agree
B. Disagree
23. Global warming is a serious threat to the planet. Because of this, we should all be required to burn fewer fossil
fuels (oil, coal, natural gas) immediately.
A. Agree
B. Disagree
24. Women and racial minorities should be given preferences in hiring and college admissions until we achieve true
gender and racial equality in America.
A. Agree
B. Disagree
25. Pollution and species extinction call for government action, even if it means new programs or increased taxes.
A. Agree
B. Disagree