Where are you on this Political test?

[Forsher]

http://tvnz.co.nz/votecompass

I'm sure we're all familiar with the political compass. This is a bit like that, but more official. If you're not an NZer or are under 18 just tick the two boxes and away you go. It's also sort of similar to a thingy that I remember from when the US elections in 2012 were around in that it also compares which parties you're most similar too (hence the poll).

Naturally we can discuss a) our results, b) whether or not they surprise you or c) whether or not the positioning of the parties surprise you. Note, while there are eight parties here two of the others that actually get talked about declined to participate but all the ones that got into parliament last time are here. Also, some of the issues don't get talked about as much as others (I'm thinking abortion, which is out of place, especially when compared to ones like foreign ownership).

In terms of weighted results I am most similar to the Greens but the unweighted ones generated Labour. That is not to say there aren't a few issues where my views departed significantly from either or both. Actually, in one case, I believe all but one party was way down the other end. I might vote Greens but I'm not really decided.

So, what say ye NSG? Would you vote for the party your weighted result says you're most similar to (if you could)?

[The Serbian Empire]

I got United Future as my top.

[Geilinor]

I got United Future 73%, National 60%, and Labour 58%. But I was near Labour on the political compass. Strange.

[Forsher]

I got United Future 73%, National 60%, and Labour 58%. But I was near Labour on the political compass. Strange.

I think this is as a consequence of the bars measuring the responses to the specific issues, which doesn't necessarily translate that well to what the political compass measures. At any rate, they found this significant enough to include a pre-written explanation.

Why do the graphs show different results?

In some cases, users will appear to be more aligned with one party on the two-dimensional grid and a different party on one or both of the bar graphs. This is a normal and expected result. These three graphs are designed to provide three different ways for users to interpret their results. The two-dimensional grid measures where users are situated in a general two dimensional political system. The parties bar graph measures how much you agree with the particular propositions included in the questionnaire. The leaders bar graph measures your overall evaluation of the leaders. The two-dimensional grid and the parties bar graph use the same responses to measure different things. The bar graph provides an indication of how much a user agrees with each on the specific propositions addressed in the questionnaire. The two-dimensional grid is an effort to represent the political landscape, or the ideological space in which voters and candidates are situated. The leaders bar graph uses only the responses to the three questions that were asked about the leaders to determine results. The multiple measures reflect the practical reality that a person may agree with certain policies of one party but feel more aligned with the general values of the leader of another. How an individual reconciles these competing perspectives is entirely up to him or her.

Anyway, did you like the test? Personally I found it better than the bog standard political compass one and some of the others out there in the sense that it combined some o f my favourite features of each.

[Lalaki]

United Future, with me hovering in the social progressive section, in between economic leftism and rightism.

[AiliailiA]

I had to vote Don't Know to quite a few questions. For instance, I don't know what the legal age to buy alcohol is, so I can't say if it should be higher or lower (and it's not simple either).

Weighted results:
GRN 74%
MNA 68%
MRI 66%
LAB 64%
UF 62%
NZF 58%
NP 46%
ACT 12%

How can I have over 58% support for NZF!? I wouldn't piss on them if they were on fire.

[Forsher]

I had to vote Don't Know to quite a few questions. For instance, I don't know what the legal age to buy alcohol is, so I can't say if it should be higher or lower (and it's not simple either).

Weighted results:
GRN 74%
MNA 68%
MRI 66%
LAB 64%
UF 62%
NZF 58%
NP 46%
ACT 12%

How can I have over 58% support for NZF!? I wouldn't piss on them if they were on fire.

It's 18. Do you know what other ones you had to answer don't know to? I may be able to help.

As to NZF, it's probably a consequence of a lot of their issue by issue views not necessarily connecting that well with other ones.

[Sebtopiaris]

GRN-66%
MNA-59%
LAB-57%
MR-I52%
NZF-51%
UF-50%
NP-43%
ACT-24%
Interesting test.

[The United Confederacy of Texas]

UF-66%
LAB-65%
MRI-64%
GRN-63%
MNA-60%
NP-52%
NZF-44%
ACT-27%

[Margno]

First statement: "The government should prevent foreign ownership of New Zealand farms."
Well, this should be fun.

[Neutraligon]

There were so many I had no idea how to answer since I don't know about NZ current policies. That is especially true with the Maori questions.

[Margno]

*sigh.* As always it puts me right next to the Green Party, even though I couldn't care less about environmentalism.

[The New Sea Territory]

I broke it.

[Forsher]

*sigh.* As always it puts me right next to the Green Party, even though I couldn't care less about environmentalism.

That's because it's not a single issue party.

I broke it.

How so?

[New Rogernomics]

Green Party 90%
Mana Party 87%
Labour Party 72%
Maori Party 67%
New Zealand First Party 59%
United Future Party 54%
National Party 41%
ACT Party 19%

[Cyrisnia]

0's all around.
Because I don't live in NZ and I have no idea about the politics there.

[The Scientific States]

Well, I'm not a kiwi, so for several questions I put "I dunno." On other questions, I clicked neutral, since I didn't know the minimum wage of NZ and the like.

Anyways, here are my results. They're probably not very accurate, as I didn't answer the questions that well.

http://nz.votecompass.com/results/?s=88 ... 1408245747

If I was a kiwi, I'd vote for John Key, since he's been a decent PM. New Zealand has done well recovering from the economic recession, and he has helped implement several socially liberal policies, like the legalization of same sex marriage.

[Forsher]

0's all around.
Because I don't live in NZ and I have no idea about the politics there.

For some of them this is relevant but others, like the one Margno quoted, can be answered even without the proper context on ideological grounds. That particular question isn't quite the same as "Do you think foreign ownership of farmland is okay?" but it's close enough.

[Nazi Flower Power]

I found this somewhat confusing because I am not familiar with New Zealand's politics, but I answered the questions as best I could and it said I was closest to UF.

[Costa Fierro]

Oh if only Peter Dunne could see this. He'd be over the moon.

I'll explain the political parties in the poll for all you foreigners:

Green Party: Basically a left-wing generic party with primarily environmentalist policies that also includes a number of social justice. It tries to align itself with Labour but also tries to distance itself from it.
Labour Party: Center-left. Typical socialistic party with a surprisingly strong centrist element to it.
Mana-Internet: Extreme left-wing to anti-globalist and anti-establishment party run by a criminal, a xenophobe and snake. Combines the extreme left social and economic policies of Mana with the technology orientated policies of the Internet Party.
Maori Party: Party established in 2004 to promote Maori interests. Cannot be placed on political spectrum because it basically whores itself out to whoever's in government.
New Zealand First Party: Somewhat left-wing party with an anti-immigrant and nationalist policies. Socially conservative.
United Future: Generic centrist party with elements of Christian democracy.
National Party: Center-right classical liberal party akin to the Tories in the UK or left of the Democratic Party in the US.
ACT Party: Further to the right of National and incorporates ideas of stricter prison sentences and "smaller government" into its policies.

Green Party 90%
Mana Party 87%
Labour Party 72%
Maori Party 67%
New Zealand First Party 59%
United Future Party 54%
National Party 41%
ACT Party 19%

Christ alive. You're one of them.

[Costa Fierro]

If I was a kiwi, I'd vote for John Key, since he's been a decent PM. New Zealand has done well recovering from the economic recession, and he has helped implement several socially liberal policies, like the legalization of same sex marriage.

The Marriage Equality Bill (which essentially changed the definition of marriage) was introduced by a Labour MP. Key had nothing to do with it. His party has also been implicated recently in using top secret SIS documents for political attacks against National's opponent (not of John Key's doing but his subordinates and secretaries).

[Costa Fierro]

How can I have over 58% support for NZF!? I wouldn't piss on them if they were on fire.

What did you say with regards to the sale of farms to foreign buyers?

[Neutraligon]

How can I answer about the funding of the DOC if I don't know how it is currently funded?

[Costa Fierro]

How can I answer about the funding of the DOC if I don't know how it is currently funded?

It had it's funding slashed quite dramatically. Think of it as the Park's Service being deprived of several billion dollars.

[The Scientific States]

If I was a kiwi, I'd vote for John Key, since he's been a decent PM. New Zealand has done well recovering from the economic recession, and he has helped implement several socially liberal policies, like the legalization of same sex marriage.

The Marriage Equality Bill (which essentially changed the definition of marriage) was introduced by a Labour MP. Key had nothing to do with it. His party has also been implicated recently in using top secret SIS documents for political attacks against National's opponent (not of John Key's doing but his subordinates and secretaries).

Note how I said "helped." Key, as far as I know, supported the bill. I'm not saying the bill was implemented because of him, I'm just acknowledging his role in the passing of the bill. I was previously unaware of the SIS document scandal, and it's made me question my support of National for the upcoming election.

On a somewhat related note, given what I've heard and read, Cunliffe is much more left wing than Helen Clark, and he belongs to the more "leftist wing" of the Labour Party. That's another reason as to why I'd choose Key over Cunliffe. However, I could be wrong as I'm not a kiwi. I've simply read and heard about Cunliffe.