Portrait of Colin Powell
Center-right · Politician · From history

Colin Powell

US Secretary of State, 2001 to 2005

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The first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs and US Secretary of State, whose 2003 UN speech on Iraq’s weapons later became a source of regret.

Colin Powell sits in the right-authoritarian part of the Caucus economy and liberty compass: leaning free market and slightly authoritarian. The clearest positions are strongly institutional on institutions, strongly strength-first on war and peace and leaning tech-optimist on technology.

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Where Colin Powell sits on ten dimensions

Each scale runs from one pole to the other, and the dot shows the overall tendency of this person's record and public life. These are simplified estimates and open to debate.

💰EconomyLeaning free market
State-ledFree market
⚖️Liberty and authoritySlightly authoritarian
LibertarianAuthoritarian
🎭CultureSlightly traditional
ProgressiveTraditional
🌍NationSlightly globalist
GlobalistNationalist
🌱EnvironmentSlightly nature-first
Growth-firstNature-first
🤖TechnologyLeaning tech-optimist
Tech-cautiousTech-optimist
🕊️War and peaceStrongly strength-first
Peace-firstStrength-first
🏛️InstitutionsStrongly institutional
Anti-establishmentInstitutional
🙏ReligionSlightly religious
SecularReligious
🛡️InterventionismLeaning interventionist
Non-interventionistInterventionist

People most like Colin Powell

John Major Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 1990 to 199799%Brian Mulroney Prime Minister of Canada, 1984 to 199399%Helmut Schmidt Chancellor of West Germany, 1974 to 198299%David Brooks American columnist99%Friedrich Merz Chancellor of Germany, 2025 to present98%Theresa May Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 2016 to 201998%Mitt Romney US Senator from Utah, 2019 to 202598%David Cameron UK Prime Minister, 2010 to 201698%

People furthest from Colin Powell

Emma Goldman Russian-born anarchist and writer, 1869 to 19406%Leo Tolstoy Russian novelist and moral thinker, 1828 to 19107%Murray Bookchin American social theorist, 1921 to 20069%John Lennon British musician and peace activist, 1940 to 19809%

Political views closest to Colin Powell

Liberal conservatismCombines free markets and limited government with respect for institutions, tradition…98%OrdoliberalismFavors competitive markets protected by firm rules and a strong state, the basis of…97%Third Way centrismCombines market economics with moderate social policy and pragmatic problem solving.96%Realism in foreign policySees international politics as a contest of power and interests in which states act to…95%

Read more about Colin Powell

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Biographies of Colin PowellBooks on liberal conservatism

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Percentages show how close two profiles are across all ten dimensions. Including a person here is for study and comparison, not approval. Portrait: Department of State of the United States of America, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; see all photo credits.