# Quiz: What government type are you? - EXPLAINED
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quiz-what-government-type-are-you-explained/113718
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [June 12, 2002, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quiz-what-government-type-are-you-explained/113718 "2002-06-12T21:01:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Insecta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Insecta)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2002, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quiz-what-government-type-are-you-explained/113718/1 "2002-06-12T21:01:51Z")
**NOTE:** If you haven’t yet taken the quiz and want to do so without seeing the explanation, download the program from one of the links below, then take the quiz before reading further.
[http://www.geocities.com/insecta4o4/pdge1.htm](http://www.geocities.com/insecta4o4/pdge1.htm)
[http://www.student-council.s5.com/pgde.htm](http://www.student-council.s5.com/pgde.htm)
I have released the third version of the program (download it above). There are a few tweaks in the new version, but the biggest change is that it tells you what government types are compatible with yours. However, to make it easier for people who have already taken the quiz, I added a feature so you can enter your numbers and get a new read out. The feature can be called up by pressing **8** in the program. Because some of the more curious amongst you would probably start using this feature to find out what the numbers do, I have decided I might as well tell you how it works.
Before I go on, I would just like to announce another change. Some of the government types have been shifted around, so:
**Socialism** becomes **Monarchy** and vice versa.
**Communism** becomes **Feudalism** and vice versa.
**Nationalism** becomes **Capitalism** and vice versa.
So, **how it works**. Some of the theory here is my own opinion.
You can listen to your body in three different ways. The first is with your **Mind**. This is the part of you that thinks it knows the right thing to do, the part that deals in reason, logic and thought. The second way is through the **Heart** , which unsurprisingly is control through your emotions, such as responses to love, hate and anger. The third method is through your **Body** , which is mainly impulses, and things like hunger, pain and thirst. Remember, these are not the actions of the Mind, Heart and Body, but the demands.
For example, you are at a social event and all your friends are smoking. Your Brain tells you not to smoke because it’s bad for you. Your Heart tells you to smoke because your friends are doing it. Your Body is telling you to smoke, because it’s craving it!
People control themselves through different combinations of these methods, leading to different personalities. My program simply gauges which methods you do, and reads it out in a friendly ‘government’ system.
How do I translate Mind, Heart and Body levels into governments? Mind becomes the leadership, the thought trying to organize everything (but not always the dominant force). Body becomes the Working Class, for they both carry out the actions of the higher classes, but also have demands of their own. The Heart is the Upper and Middle Class – similar to the body/Working Class, but with it’s own (often selfish) needs.
So if you have a dominant Mind, you have a dominant Leader – giving you a government type such as Fascism.
The hard part in designing this system is assigned the different personality combinations to governments! For example, it’s far easier to think of governmental forms with dominant leaders, but try thinking of some that have an equally dominant middle and working class, but no leader. I came up with this Venn Diagram. It shows where the government types fall in relation to personality. I have spent a long time thinking it through and tweaking it so that it is logical. Not only does it show the types, it also shows **compatibility**. Government types within a compartment have the best compatibility. Those bordering have good compatibility, those without borders bad, and the opposites get worst.
The diagram can be found at both of the following addresses (with the program):
[http://www.geocities.com/insecta4o4/pgde1.htm](http://www.geocities.com/insecta4o4/pgde1.htm)
[http://www.student-council.s5.com/pgde.htm](http://www.student-council.s5.com/pgde.htm)
In words, the diagram can be expressed as follows:
**Equal**
With Bias Towards Mind or Bias Against Body = Imperialism
With Bias Towards Heart or Bias Against Mind = Republic
With Bias Towards Body or Bias Against Heart = Democracy
**Mind Dominant**
With Bias Towards Heart = Theocratic
With Bias Towards Neither = Despotism
With Bias Towards Body = Fascism
**Heart Dominant**
With Bias Towards Mind = Nationalism
With Bias Towards Neither = Capitalism
With Bias Towards Body = Libertarianism
**Body Dominant**
With Bias Towards Mind = Marxism
With Bias Towards Neither = Anarchy
With Bias Towards Heart = Martial Law
**Mind and Heart Equal**
With Weak Body = Plutocracy
With Medium Body = Bureaucracy
**Mind and Body Equal**
With Weak Heart = Monarchy
With Medium Heart = Feudalism
**Heart and Body Equal**
With Weak Mind = Socialism
With Medium Mind = Communism
Feel free the question my logic on these choices. They were hard to make, and I would appreciate any suggestions for reorganization, or even new government types. Hopefully we can reach something fairly acceptable together!
Finally, **the numbers**. Each question has a Mind, Heart and Body answer. The fourth (or first bottom number) is how many questions you picked the mind answer for. The fifth is the same for heart, and sixth for body. The top three numbers are a simplification used to work out the government type. Some government types are destined to come up more, but the extreme ones will appear (somebody did get Monarchy!). Overall, even thought his has a system behind it, the aim of the program is chiefly just to entertain!
I look forward to your feedback.
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### Author:  [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2002, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quiz-what-government-type-are-you-explained/113718/2 "2002-06-12T21:56:50Z")
This is absolutely fascinating!
Taking the test, I received “Libertarianism”. It’s funny, because when I was reading many of the questions, there were questions where I would think, “I’d _like_ to think I would do it this way, but I know that I’d probably do it this way.” (example: the one about the football players: I would LIKE to pick the best football players, but I know I would probably end up picking my friends).
The first time I took the quiz, I received:
> [@](#):
>
> **Your Government Type Is**
>
> Libertarianism
>
> ( 2 3 1 )
> ( 9 12 5 )
>
> **Best Compatible Government Types**
> Capitalism, Nationalism
> **Good Compatible Government Types**
> Bureaucracy, Plutocracy
> Communism, Socialism
> Imperialism, Republic, Democracy
> **Mildly Incompatible Government Types**
> Fascism, Despotism, Theocracy
> Martial Law, Anarchy, Marxism
> **Totally Incompatible Government Types**
> Feudalism, Monarchy
I took the test a second time, answering the questions with my “ideal” response instead of what I would most likely actually do, and received:
> [@](#):
>
> **Your Government Type Is**
>
> Democracy
>
> ( 2 2 2 )
> ( 10 6 10 )
>
> **Best Compatible Government Types**
> Imperialism, Republic
> **Good Compatible Government Types**
> Feudalism, Monarchy
> Bureaucracy, Plutocracy
> Communism, Socialism
> **Mildly Incompatible Government Types**
> Fascism, Despotism, Theocracy
> Martial Law, Anarchy, Marxism
> Capitalism, Nationalism, Libertatianism
So when I was Libertarian, Democracy was seen as “Good Compatibility”, but when i was Democratic, Libertarianism was seen as “Mildly Incompatible”. Is there a reason for this?
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### Author:  [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2002, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quiz-what-government-type-are-you-explained/113718/3 "2002-06-13T00:19:13Z")
Interesting!
I’m not sure I agree with your assesments, but my reaction is an emotional one, and I’m not sure you’re wrong, either.
I gotta think on this…
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### Author:  [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2002, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quiz-what-government-type-are-you-explained/113718/4 "2002-06-13T01:16:18Z")
Interesting idea, **Insecta** , although I’m not sure I agree with you.
My results:
Your Government Type Is
**Despotism**
( 4 2 2 )
( 14 6 6 )
Best Compatible Government Types
**Theocracy** , **Fascism**
Good Compatible Government Types
**Bureaucracy** , **Plutocracy**
Feudalism, Monarchy
Imperialism, Republic, Democracy
Mildly Incompatible Government Types
**Capitalism** , **Nationalism** , **Libertatianism**
Martial Law, Anarchy, Marxism
Totally Incompatible Government Types
Communism, Socialism
FTR, I’m an **atheist** , **pro-democracy capitalist** with **Libertarian** leanings.
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### Author:  [@sirjamesp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sirjamesp)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2002, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quiz-what-government-type-are-you-explained/113718/5 "2002-06-13T08:06:28Z")
What an amazing idea… Well done, that Doper!
I got:
> [@](#):
>
> ( 2 3 2 )
> ( 7 12 7 )
>
> Gov type: Capitalism
> Compatible: Nationalism, Libertarianism
Which I reckon is probably spot on.
But… I also got
> [@](#):
>
> Totally incompatible: Feudalism, Monarchy
I guess by Monarchy you mean an Absolute Monarchy, in which case I’d agree with you here. But, if you are talking about Constitutional Monarchy (a very different thing), then I’d have to strongly disagree.
Perhaps a clearer label for this type of government is needed? Or, on the other hand, I could just be a petty fool. 🙂
Fab analysis tool!
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### Author:  [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2002, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quiz-what-government-type-are-you-explained/113718/6 "2002-06-13T23:20:10Z")
Your Government Type Is
Marxism
( 2 1 3 )
( 10 4 12 )
# Best Compatible Government Types Anarchy, Martial Law Good Compatible Government Types Feudalism, Monarchy Communism, Socialism Imperialism, Republic, Democracy Mildly Incompatible Government Types Fascism, Despotism, Theocracy Capitalism, Nationalism, Libertatianism Totally Incompatible Government Types Bureaucracy, Plutocracy
Bing, worng answer. I am a Pro-Free market, Objectivist-Libertarian or something like that. Actually I’m not sure what to call myself. But I am not a Marxist and find the idea simplistic at best.
Slee