Pournelle chart

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The Pournelle chart, developed by

• The x-axis, "Attitude toward the State" (labeled
  individual freedom
  .
• The y-axis, "Attitude toward planned social progress" (labeled
  social progress and the bottom represents skepticism of such methods, often considering them as naively utopian
  . Those at the top of the axis would tend to discard a traditional custom if they do not understand what purpose it serves (considering it antiquated and probably useless), while those at the bottom would tend to keep the custom (considering it time-tested and probably useful).

Pournelle arranged American liberalism, socialism, and communism, in the upper right-hand quadrant of high state control and high rationalism. Conservatism, fascism, and Nazism are placed in the lower right hand quadrant of high state control and low rationalism. Classical anarchists are in the lower left hand corner of low state control and low rationalism. Libertarians (including anarcho-capitalists) and Objectivists are placed in the upper left-hand corner of low state control and high rationalism. Each diagonal axis contains natural political allies.

See also

• Political spectrum

External links

• The Pournelle Political Axes.
• Ambidextrous Sovereignty at the Wayback Machine (archived 17 March 2008)