How Political DNA Maps Your Beliefs

Our methodology for identifying your unique political archetype across 32 possibilities

Why "Political DNA"?

We use "DNA" metaphorically to represent your unique political fingerprint - the complex combination of beliefs that makes you politically distinct. Just as biological DNA creates your physical uniqueness through combinations of base pairs, your Political DNA represents the unique pattern of your political positions across multiple dimensions.

Curious about how actual genetics influences political beliefs? Explore the real science →

Assessment Overview

Political DNA maps your political beliefs across four empirically-derived dimensions through a 20-question assessment. Your responses create a unique profile that places you into one of 32 distinct political archetypes, transcending traditional left-right categorization.

Our methodology combines insights from political science research with modern psychometric techniques to capture the true complexity of contemporary political belief.

Note: This assessment measures your stated political positions through survey questions. It does not analyze your actual DNA or genetics. Political DNA is designed for self-reflection and understanding, not clinical or academic assessment.

The Four Dimensions We Measure

Based on research in political psychology and comparative politics, our assessment measures four independent dimensions that capture the complexity of modern political belief:

PLCF: Personal Liberty ↔ Collective Freedom

Measures your preferences regarding individual autonomy versus collective security.

  • High scores (>70): Oppose surveillance, champion personal choice
  • Moderate (30-70): Balance privacy with security needs
  • Low scores (<30): Accept authority for collective benefit

MESR: Market Economy ↔ State Regulation

Captures your economic philosophy and views on government's role in markets.

  • High scores (>70): Trust free markets, minimal intervention
  • Moderate (30-70): Mixed economy approach
  • Low scores (<30): Support government services, regulation

DIPG: National ↔ Global Orientation

Reflects your orientation toward international cooperation versus national sovereignty.

  • High scores (>70): Embrace immigration, global cooperation
  • Moderate (30-70): Selective internationalism
  • Low scores (<30): Prioritize national sovereignty

CULT: Traditional ↔ Progressive Culture

Indicates your attitudes toward social change and traditional values.

  • High scores (>70): Embrace rapid social change
  • Moderate (30-70): Gradual evolution of norms
  • Low scores (<30): Preserve traditional values

How We Calculate Your Type

Question Response Values

Response Base Value After Reversal (if applicable)
Strongly Agree 100 0
Agree 75 25
Neutral 50 50
Disagree 25 75
Strongly Disagree 0 100

Dimension Score Calculation

For each dimension D: D_score = Σ(response_value × question_weight) / Σ(question_weights) Where: - Each dimension uses 5 questions from the assessment - response_value = 0-100 based on your answer - question_weight = 1.0 (equal weighting) - Some questions are reversed for consistency

Your Unique Share Code

Your share code encodes all four dimension scores in base-36 format:

ShareCode = "DNA" + base36(PLCF) + base36(MESR) + base36(DIPG) + base36(CULT) Example: DNA1M2K5P8Q represents specific scores on all four dimensions

32 Political Archetypes

Based on your four-dimensional profile from the assessment, you're matched to one of 32 political archetypes. These represent distinct patterns in political belief systems found across democratic societies:

Anarcho-Capitalist 1.3% rarity

Maximum personal liberty + Maximum market freedom

Paleolibertarian 2.9% rarity

High liberty + High markets + Low global + Low cultural progress

Bleeding Heart Libertarian 3.3% rarity

High liberty + Markets + Global cooperation + Social progress

National Conservative 11.2% rarity

Low liberty + High markets + Low global + Traditional values

Democratic Socialist 8.4% rarity

High liberty + Low markets + High global + Progressive values

Pragmatic Centrist 16.4% rarity

Moderate on all dimensions, values pragmatism over ideology

The full set includes specialized archetypes like Tech Authoritarian, Welfare Nationalist, Nationalist Progressive, and 23 others, each representing unique combinations of the four dimensions measured by our assessment.

Theoretical Foundation

Our assessment methodology synthesizes established political science research:

Key Theoretical Frameworks

  • Dimensional Analysis: Factor analysis showing politics extends beyond single left-right axis
  • GAL-TAN Framework: Green/Alternative/Libertarian vs Traditional/Authoritarian/Nationalist dimensions from European politics research
  • Two-Dimensional Models: Economic and social axes expanded with sovereignty and liberty dimensions
  • Cleavage Theory: How social divisions map to political coalitions in modern democracies
Our dimensional model draws from: Kitschelt (1994) on new political dimensions, Kriesi et al. (2006) on globalization cleavages, Bakker et al. (2015) on multidimensional political spaces, and the Chapel Hill Expert Survey methodology for positioning political parties.

Assessment Validation

Our assessment undergoes continuous validation and refinement:

  • User Feedback: Self-reported accuracy ratings average 73% "very accurate" or higher
  • Archetype Distribution: Observed frequencies align with political science estimates of ideology distribution
  • Test-Retest Reliability: 85% consistency for users retaking the assessment after 30+ days
  • Cross-Cultural Testing: Validated across US, UK, Canada, and Australia populations

Limitations & Considerations

  • Cultural Context: Optimized for English-speaking democratic contexts (US, UK, Canada, Australia)
  • Temporal Validity: Political meanings evolve; our model reflects 2024-2025 politics
  • Question Count: 20 questions balance accuracy with user experience (average completion: 2.5 minutes)
  • Binary Framing: Some questions present trade-offs that may feel oversimplified
  • Social Desirability: Self-reported data may reflect aspirational rather than actual beliefs
  • Not Genetic: Despite our name, this assessment does not measure biological or genetic factors

Data & Privacy

Your privacy is fundamental to accurate results:

  • No email or personal identification required
  • Anonymous analytics only - we track patterns, not people
  • Results stored locally in your browser
  • Share codes contain no personally identifiable information
  • We never sell or share individual response data

Aggregate anonymized data may be used for research and improving the assessment's accuracy.

Future Development

Roadmap for enhancement based on user data and research:

  • Moral Foundations Integration: 25-question follow-up exploring the psychological drivers behind political beliefs
  • Dynamic Archetypes: Machine learning to identify emerging political coalitions
  • Regional Adaptation: Localized versions for different political contexts
  • Longitudinal Tracking: Understanding how political identity evolves over time
  • Issue-Specific Deep Dives: Detailed exploration of positions on specific policies

Questions About Our Methodology?

For inquiries about our assessment design, validation process, or suggestions:

Email: research@politicaldna.com

This methodology is versioned. Current version: 2.0 (January 2025)

Changelog: Expanded from 20 to 32 archetypes, refined dimension calculations