Take the 1-minute ‘Left Wing or Right Wing’ quiz to see which of the 8 political personalities best match your identity.
What is a left vs. right wing quiz?
In today’s world, the terms “left wing” and “right wing” are used as symbolic labels for liberals and conservatives, but they originally referred to the physical seating arrangements of politicians during the French Revolution (literally sitting on the left or right sides of the aisle). The terms are now used to describe the opposing ends of the political spectrum (liberal vs. conservative), but they still represent how Democrats and Republicans traditionally sit on opposite sides of the House and Senate chambers.
This type of quiz measures your values, attitudes, and engagement along 20 unique personality traits. The left vs. right wing quiz then matches you with the political personality type closest to your values.
When you’re matched, you’ll receive a detailed report of how closely your values align to different political parties: Democrat, Republican, Green, and Libertarian – using a percentage match. It will also give you insight into your values: liberal vs. conservative left vs. right wing.
You can then view the political party’s platform to see if it truly aligns with your values and ambitions.
The quiz is completely anonymous, private, and takes less than 2 minutes. Have fun!
Left wing vs. right wing origins
The political terms left wing and right wing originally started as a reference to politicians’ seating arrangements in the French National Assembly during the French Revolution.
During the summer of 1789, politicians were drafting a constitution, but they were divided on various issues, including how much authority King Louis XVI could possess. Those who sat on the left side of the room supported the revolution and opposed the monarchy. While those who sat to the right supported the monarchist and the ideals of a traditional society.
Newspapers that covered these sessions eventually started referring to the progressive “left” and traditionalist “right” of the French assembly. While the terms vanished for a while, they eventually re-emerged and became a common shorthand for referencing opposing ends of the political spectrum.
During the 1800s, these terms eventually spread out across the world. Nowadays, these terms are used in an identical way: to refer to opposing political ideologies and politicians’ physical seating arrangements in legislative bodies. For instance, in the U.S. Congress, Democrats and Republicans typically sit on opposite sides of major chambers.
What does left wing mean?
Left wing beliefs are liberal in that they believe society is best served with an expanded role for the government that aligns with progressive policies furthering social, economic, and environmental justice. These include entitlement programs such as social security, healthcare reform, welfare systems, and other social safety nets. The expanded social role of government also includes protections for disadvantaged and minority groups – insofar as these groups cannot thrive without proper assistance to level the playing field.
Left wing also means advocating for political, social, and economic institutions to support growth and development of the individual – including the cultivation of civil liberties: peace, justice, and social equality.
What does right wing mean?
Right wingers typically believe in limited government, full economic freedom, and religious traditions. And they believe these values should be preserved over the rights of the full populous. Laws should still not allow people to infringe upon the right of others. This also means that the free market should regulate itself and decide what is best for the economy. There shouldn’t be substantial social rights or welfare programs: people should take care of themselves. Policies should be optimized to serve the private market.
