About

About Political DNA

We're building tools to help people escape binary political thinking and discover the true complexity of their political identity.

"32 strains. 8 haplotypes. 4 dimensions. 1 you."

32 Political Strains
8 Haplotypes
4 Dimensions
~5 Minutes
Mission

Why We Built This

Political discourse is trapped in false simplicity. We've reduced the infinite complexity of competing visions for governance into a single axis: left versus right. This binary obscures what politics actually is—fundamental disagreement about how power should be distributed and exercised.

The Political DNA Project exists to map this complexity with clarity.

We identify 32 distinct political strains—specific configurations of beliefs about liberty, economics, national identity, and cultural values. These aren't arbitrary labels. They reflect real patterns in how people believe society should be organized.

When you discover you're a "Compassionate Libertarian" or a "Welfare Nationalist," you're not just getting a label—you're identifying with a specific configuration of beliefs about power distribution. These strains represent real coalitions, real tensions, and real fault lines in contemporary politics.

The Problem

Why Binary Thinking Fails

When we force everyone into two camps, we create real problems:

Misidentification

A person who wants strong borders, universal healthcare, and free markets has no natural home in a two-party system—yet must pick a side that misrepresents at least two of these positions.

Hidden Coalitions

A Democratic Socialist and a Corporate Progressive might vote the same way despite having radically different visions for society. The binary obscures these real distinctions.

Strategic Confusion

If you don't understand your actual political position, you can't effectively advance it. Knowing you're a "Market Socialist" rather than generically "left" clarifies what you're fighting for.

Package-Deal Thinking

People adopt positions they don't actually hold because that's what their "side" believes. This corrupts authentic political thinking and weakens coherent discourse.

Our Approach

How Political DNA Works

Rather than placing you on a single left-right line, we measure your positions across four independent dimensions:

  • Personal Liberty: How much freedom should individuals have versus collective regulation for safety or morality?
  • Economic System: Should the economy be driven by free markets or state coordination and redistribution?
  • National vs. Global: Should nations prioritize sovereignty or embrace international integration?
  • Cultural Values: Should society preserve traditional institutions or embrace progressive social change?

Your unique combination across these dimensions maps you to one of 32 political strains, organized into 8 haplotypes (clusters of related strains). The result is a precise description of your actual political position—not a vague label.

Template Matching, Not Axis Averaging

We don't just plot you on axes and find the nearest label. Each strain has a distinct "template"—an expected pattern of responses. We compare your actual answers to all 32 templates simultaneously, calculating match probability and confidence. This captures the full texture of your beliefs.

Principles

What We Stand For

01 Anonymity First

People answer honestly only when they're truly anonymous. No email required. No tracking individuals. Your results live in your browser, under your control. This isn't negotiable—it's why our tool works.

02 No Ideology

We don't advocate for any particular configuration of power. Our job is to map and describe, not to judge or persuade. We present all strains—from Anarcho-Capitalist to Techno-Authoritarian—with equal analytical rigor.

03 Research-Based

Our dimensions come from established political science research (Feldman, Kriesi, Hooghe). Our strains reflect real patterns in modern democracies. We cite our sources and update our methodology as research evolves.

04 Radically Transparent

Our methodology is documented. Our limitations are disclosed upfront. If you think we're wrong about something, tell us why. We're building for accuracy, not ego.

05 Accessible by Default

The core Political DNA Scan is free and doesn't require signup. We believe everyone should be able to understand their political identity without barriers. We don't sell your data to third parties.

06 Constantly Improving

Politics evolves. Language changes. New research emerges. We iterate constantly based on user feedback, validation studies, and academic developments. Nothing is set in stone.

Who We Are

The Project

The Political DNA Project

Political DNA was created by Mike Sertic, who leads the organization behind the World's Smallest Political Quiz—taken by over 30 million people since 1987.

Political DNA is an independent project that extends that work. Where the WSPQ pioneered the insight that political identity has more than one dimension, Political DNA goes further: four dimensions, 32 archetypes, and a scoring system grounded in contemporary political science research.

The project grew from a simple frustration: existing political quizzes either oversimplify (left vs. right) or use frameworks that don't reflect how people actually think about politics today. The two-dimensional models designed in the 1990s and 2000s miss the globalization-era cleavages that now define political conflict.

Political DNA is nonpartisan. All 32 archetypes—from Anarcho-Capitalist to Techno-Authoritarian—are presented with equal analytical respect. The goal is accurate mapping, not persuasion.

Validation

Research & Validation

Political DNA is a living instrument. We're actively working to validate our dimensional model and refine our archetypes through empirical testing and academic collaboration.

Seeking Research Partners

If you're an academic researcher interested in political psychology, ideology measurement, or belief system structure, we'd welcome the opportunity to collaborate. Our methodology documentation is available on request.

Our approach is documented, our limitations are disclosed, and our data is available for qualified researchers. We believe political assessment tools should be built in the open—not treated as proprietary black boxes.

Have methodological feedback or interested in research collaboration? Reach out at research@politicaldna.org.

Roadmap

What's Next

✓ Complete

Political DNA Scan

32-question assessment mapping you to one of 32 strains across 4 dimensions.

✓ Complete

Belief Markers & Paradoxes

Identifies your strongest positions and interesting tensions in your views.

Beta

Shareable Results

Generate a unique share code and DNA card to share your results.

Beta

Full Sequence

Extended assessment incorporating moral foundations and psychological dimensions.

Beta

Comparison Tools

Compare your political DNA with friends, family, or public figures.

Planned

Education Resources

Curriculum materials for teachers and resources for exploring political diversity.

Planned

Strain Deep Dives

Detailed profiles for each of the 32 strains—history, famous examples, common tensions, and related reading.

Planned

Historical Tracking

Retake the assessment over time and see how your political identity evolves.

Contact

Get in Touch

Have feedback on the methodology? Interested in collaborating? Found a bug? We'd love to hear from you.

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General Inquiries
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Research Questions
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Feedback

We read every message. Response times vary, but we prioritize thoughtful critique and collaboration opportunities. If you're a researcher interested in the methodology or data, please reach out—we're actively seeking validation partnerships.

Ready to Discover Your Political Strain?

32 questions. About 5 minutes. No signup required.

Begin Sequence