Despite the current debate in US media that attempts to reduce political ideology into two groups, there is more to politics than liberalism and conservatism. Moreover, these categories are a bit different in other countries. For example, political liberalism is not exactly equal to the US version of liberalism. Therefore, at first, when the question was to choose between liberalism and conservatism, I referred to the general discord in US politics, ignoring other factors. However, when I was presented with the square table, I recognized the variety of ideologies beyond the media’s debates. Moreover, the examples of potential citizens’ beliefs in relation to liberalism and conservatism further skillfully illustrated the existence of the “gray area,” often ignored by the media. Thus, I think that the quiz is beneficial in recognizing the limits of US liberalism and conservatism discourse and the incorrectness of assuming one side strictly.
When I answered the questions, I decided to pick an option closer to liberalism, as it is quite statistically applicable for me as a young college student. However, with the progression of the quiz, I found myself agreeing with the possible nuance or “gray areas” in the political stance of the separate individuals. I think the final clarification and inclusion of the square table solidified this concept of the “gray area.” Each individual must observe the politics on the three-dimensional scale of the balance between freedom and equality. Unfortunately, some conservative politicians are currently trying to argue for the association of conservatism with freedom and liberalism – with equality.
The fact is that both liberalism and conservatism sit on the scale of both freedom and equality. However, It is understandable for this misunderstanding to occur, considering the polarised media. Therefore, it leads to confusion that attempts to erase the “gray area.” However, the citizens still may hold beliefs that do not conform to any of the extremes, also existing on this scale of both freedom and equality. Thus, my views also do not coincide with liberalism or conservatism perfectly. The quiz does a great job of showing this phenomenon. Additionally, the quiz would benefit from explaining the balance between freedom and equality in other ideologies, including libertinism, socialism, etc.