# How Libertarian Are You? (Quiz) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 21, 2016, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-libertarian-are-you-quiz/755267 "2016-05-21T00:46:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-libertarian-are-you-quiz/755267/21 "2016-05-21T02:58:32Z")
Another challenge to answering the questions is that you might say “yes” given some states of the world and not others. For example, your interest it cutting the military by 75% might depend on the adoption of free trade policies by other countries (that lessen the potential need for military intervention). Or your interest in abolishing the minimum wage might depend on there being other changes to government regulation of the economy that would benefit the working poor (like abolishing occupational licensing, rent control, and zoning laws). ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-libertarian-are-you-quiz/755267/22 "2016-05-21T03:46:51Z")
17 which is higher than I thought it would be. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-libertarian-are-you-quiz/755267/23 "2016-05-21T05:09:37Z")
That was silly. I refuse to post the result. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-libertarian-are-you-quiz/755267/24 "2016-05-21T05:16:43Z")
1. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-libertarian-are-you-quiz/755267/25 "2016-05-21T06:28:35Z")
48, much lower than it would have been in the past. I have never voted Libertarian, and only voted for one Republican: Ford, because I couldn’t stand Carter. Other than that, I’m probably the most libertarian person to be a registered Democratic. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-libertarian-are-you-quiz/755267/26 "2016-05-21T09:12:34Z")
I scored 31 - but I don’t think the poll does enough to distinguish between left anarchists (such as myself) and libertarians. Even though I voted big NOs on all _government_ being evil, wanting to abolish the _state_ as it exists probably pushed my score up. Wanting to reduce military spending also. There should have been negative scoring all those times I said I was all for welfare and safety regulations and the like, to counterbalance. or those should have more weighting. Overall, not a great poll, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-libertarian-are-you-quiz/755267/27 "2016-05-21T09:18:33Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > I don’t think there’s that much daylight between anarchist and libertarian when we’re talking about political philosophies. I think the areas in which they disagree mostly involve what kind of power structures ought to replace the state, which means their disagreements are mostly not captured in a quiz that is asking about which parts of the state you would abolish. I disagree. The issues of capitalism and real property rights are huge gulfs - a lot of daylight there. “Anarcho-capitalists” being, of course, a made-up redwashing libertarian thing. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-libertarian-are-you-quiz/755267/28 "2016-05-21T09:21:13Z")
My answer for the first 3 was, “I don’t have access to the numbers and experts to be able to make any such determination”. As such, I declined proceeding. I’m jealous of all you out there who do have such access and the time to review it. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-libertarian-are-you-quiz/755267/29 "2016-05-21T11:16:49Z")
When I saw the picture of Ayn Rand, I thought, “Oh gawd, I hope my score is low.” Not to hijack, but my opinion of the pollsters was significantly lowered by the idea that they might admire her. Anyway, do people think that if she were around now, she’d be a Libertarian-capital L? would she identify herself as a libertarian with a small l? I know the party is more diverse than it can come across, FWIW. There’s a guy I know who is a small business owner, and many years a Republican, who still sometimes calls himself a Goldwater Republican (I think that was the first election he voted in), but who left the GOP for the Libertarians when the Christians took it over. The man is a confirmed atheist. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-libertarian-are-you-quiz/755267/30 "2016-05-21T11:29:42Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > I disagree. > > The issues of capitalism and real property rights are huge gulfs - a lot of daylight there. “Anarcho-capitalists” being, of course, a made-up redwashing libertarian thing. Sure. My point was about the extent of difference over how much state to abolish–i.e., all of it. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-libertarian-are-you-quiz/755267/31 "2016-05-21T11:38:47Z")
I scored a 6. It said to explore my nascent libertarian feelings but, having seen what gets you points down the road, I think I’ll pass on that offer. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-libertarian-are-you-quiz/755267/32 "2016-05-21T11:39:50Z")
I got 13, mostly because of my position on immigration. If these are the ideas behind libertarianism, they’re even more stupid than I thought. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-libertarian-are-you-quiz/755267/33 "2016-05-21T11:40:40Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > Sure. My point was about the extent of difference over how much state to abolish–i.e., all of it. The “I disagree” was more to your first sentence, I agree about this point. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-libertarian-are-you-quiz/755267/34 "2016-05-21T11:45:23Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Thge “I disagree” was more to your first sentence. I could have written it more carefully. I meant it to convey essentially what I said in more words in the subsequent sentences. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-libertarian-are-you-quiz/755267/35 "2016-05-21T11:45:33Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > My answer for the first 3 was, “I don’t have access to the numbers and experts to be able to make any such determination”. As such, I declined proceeding. > > I’m jealous of all you out there who do have such access and the time to review it. Reminds me of the time an internet quiz didn’t provide adequate context for WHY I had a hard day at work so I couldn’t realistically choose between a martini and a cosmopolitan in their hypothetical bar. I’m jealous of those who got to learn which Sex & the City girl they are; wisdom I can never share in. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-libertarian-are-you-quiz/755267/36 "2016-05-21T11:48:08Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I got 13, mostly because of my position on immigration. If these are the ideas behind libertarianism, they’re even more stupid than I thought. I suspect that if you’re surprised at what hard-core libertarianism entails, then you might not know much about the ideas behind it. You might still think them stupid, of course (as I do for some of them). But the quiz isn’t designed to educate you about why smart people might think those poll options are good ideas. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-libertarian-are-you-quiz/755267/37 "2016-05-21T11:57:23Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Reminds me of the time an internet quiz didn’t provide adequate context for WHY I had a hard day at work so I couldn’t realistically choose between a martini and a cosmopolitan in their hypothetical bar. I’m jealous of those who got to learn which Sex & the City girl they are; wisdom I can never share in. How unfortunate. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-libertarian-are-you-quiz/755267/38 "2016-05-21T12:00:04Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Reminds me of the time an internet quiz didn’t provide adequate context for WHY I had a hard day at work so I couldn’t realistically choose between a martini and a cosmopolitan in their hypothetical bar. I’m jealous of those who got to learn which Sex & the City girl they are; wisdom I can never share in. The rare post that makes me want to look through someone’s posting history for other recent gems. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-libertarian-are-you-quiz/755267/39 "2016-05-21T12:00:24Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > How unfortunate. Don’t worry about it. It was just a silly internet quiz. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-libertarian-are-you-quiz/755267/40 "2016-05-21T12:41:59Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > I suspect that if you’re surprised at what hard-core libertarianism entails, then you might not know much about the ideas behind it. > > You might still think them stupid, of course (as I do for some of them). But the quiz isn’t designed to educate you about why smart people might think those poll options are good ideas. Because the people who think they are good ideas aren’t as smart as they think are. They are clearly not well thought-out, and many don’t show any sign of actual thought at all, especially as to the consequences of the positions. It’s like communism - ideas created to fit the square pegs of their philosophy into the round holes of reality. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-libertarian-are-you-quiz/755267.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-libertarian-are-you-quiz/755267.md?page=3)