How Caucus works
Caucus is a free political test that places you on eight dimensions and compares you with world leaders, past and present, and with named political views. It exists to help people learn some history, not to put anyone in a box.
The test
You answer statements on a five-point scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree, with a neutral option for when it depends. There are three lengths:
- Quick: 24 statements, 3 per dimension.
- Medium: 64 statements, 8 per dimension.
- Extreme: 160 statements, 20 per dimension.
The statements come from a bank of 240. Half of the ones in each dimension are worded so that agreeing points one way and half so that agreeing points the other, which keeps the result from rewarding people who simply say yes to everything.
The eight dimensions
Most quizzes reduce politics to left against right. Caucus uses eight scales, because people rarely fit one line. Each dimension has two poles, and you land somewhere between them.
Economy
State-led ↔ Free marketHow much government should run or steer the economy.
Liberty and authority
Libertarian ↔ AuthoritarianHow much power the state should hold over individuals.
Culture
Progressive ↔ TraditionalAttitudes to social change, family and religion.
Nation
Globalist ↔ NationalistOpen borders and shared institutions versus national sovereignty.
Environment
Growth-first ↔ Nature-firstEconomic expansion versus protecting the natural world.
Technology
Tech-cautious ↔ Tech-optimistSpeed and freedom of innovation versus precaution and regulation.
War and peace
Peace-first ↔ Strength-firstDiplomacy and disarmament versus military strength.
Institutions
Anti-establishment ↔ InstitutionalPower for ordinary people directly versus trust in experts and established institutions.
How your result is calculated
Each answer is worth between minus two and plus two points, flipped for statements worded the other way. The points for one dimension are averaged into a score between minus one and plus one, so each dimension is scored on its own and no single question decides the outcome.
To compare you with a leader or a political view, Caucus measures the gap on each of the eight dimensions and combines them into one distance. A distance of zero would be an identical profile, which is shown as 100%, and the match percentage falls as the distance grows. Because the gap is averaged, a leader can match you closely on some dimensions and differ sharply on others, and the result cards say where.
Where the positions come from
Positions for leaders and for political views are editorial estimates. They draw on public records, policies, party platforms and writings, and they describe the overall tendency of a leader's career, not a single term or speech. They are simplified and reasonable people disagree with some of them.
Leaders in office today follow Wikipedia's list of current heads of state and government as of September 2026, and governments change, so some entries will be out of date. Historical figures are chosen because their ideas or legacy are widely studied.
Some people on the list, such as dictators and leaders whose governments carried out mass killings, are marked with a short red label. They are included because comparing yourself with the worst chapters of history is a way to learn from them, not because they are endorsed.
Limits
No short test can capture a person's politics. Treat the result as a starting point for reading and thinking, not as a label. Caucus is independent and is not affiliated with any party, government or campaign.
Your answers are worked out in your browser and are not sent anywhere. Read the privacy notice for details, and see the photo credits for the sources of the portraits.