Who should provide essential services and shape strategic sectors: public institutions or private markets?
What this axis looks at
One poleA larger role for public ownership, planning and shared provision. This pole points toward collective control of key resources and services.
The other poleA larger role for private ownership, competition and market choice. This pole gives businesses and consumers more room to make decisions.
The debate in contextDebates include public or private provision of services, the ownership of energy and other strategic sectors, and how much competition should shape prices and access.
How much power should public authorities have, and where should decisions be made?
What this axis looks at
One poleLess centralized authority and more room for individual or local self-government. The label “anarchy” marks the far end of this test’s scale.
The other poleStronger public authority and a greater emphasis on centralized coordination, enforcement and order.
The debate in contextThis dimension brings together questions about central and local powers, the state’s role in daily life, and how governments should balance quick action with checks and negotiation.
Should policy put international cooperation first, or prioritize national interests and control?
CosmopolitanismNationalism
What this axis looks at
One poleA more cosmopolitan outlook that emphasizes cross-border cooperation, mobility and shared responsibilities.
The other poleA more nationalist outlook that emphasizes national priorities, sovereignty and control of borders.
The debate in contextImmigration pathways, border enforcement, international cooperation and whose interests government should prioritize are common points of disagreement.
Should laws and institutions adapt quickly to social change, or protect inherited traditions?
What this axis looks at
One poleMore openness to changing social norms and expanding recognition as society changes.
The other poleMore emphasis on continuity, shared traditions and preserving established norms.
The debate in contextDiscussions often concern family and identity, education, national history and how quickly law should respond to changes in social values.
How should environmental limits be balanced with production, consumption and economic growth?
EnvironmentalismProductivism
What this axis looks at
One poleGive greater priority to ecological protection and a faster transition, including when it requires changes to economic activity.
The other poleGive greater priority to production and growth, especially when environmental rules add costs or constraints.
The debate in contextThe trade-offs include climate policy, energy, resource use, business obligations and how transition costs are shared.
When personal freedom and collective rules conflict, which should carry more weight?
Individual freedomSocial order
What this axis looks at
One poleGive greater weight to individual liberty, personal autonomy and freedom of expression.
The other poleGive greater weight to shared rules, social order and limits intended to protect the wider community.
The debate in contextPrivacy, speech, lifestyle choices and the rules applied to individual conduct can all raise this tension.
Should taxes and public spending do more to redistribute resources, or should the tax burden be lower?
What this axis looks at
One poleHigher contributions, particularly from those with greater means, to fund public services and redistribution.
The other poleLower taxes and a smaller tax burden, with more emphasis on private choice and economic activity.
The debate in contextThe debate includes progressive taxation, public-service funding, the tax burden on small businesses and the balance between redistribution and disposable income.
Should the European Union gain more shared powers, or should national governments retain more sovereignty?
More EuropeNational sovereignty
What this axis looks at
One poleDeeper European integration, common rules and more coordination between member states.
The other poleMore national control over decisions, even when this means less coordination at EU level.
The debate in contextCommon economic policy, EU-wide rules and the relationship between decisions in Madrid and Brussels are central examples.
Should collective bargaining and worker protections be stronger, or should employers have more flexibility?
Trade unionismLabour flexibility
What this axis looks at
One poleA stronger role for unions, collective agreements and protections that apply across workplaces.
The other poleMore flexibility for employers and workers to negotiate hiring, schedules and working arrangements.
The debate in contextThe balance between job security and hiring costs, bargaining coverage, workplace rules and flexibility is often contested.
Should privacy safeguards come first, or should new technologies be adopted with fewer delays?
What this axis looks at
One poleStronger control over personal data, consent and the use of technology that affects people.
The other poleFaster innovation and adoption, with fewer regulatory delays for new products and services.
The debate in contextData collection, algorithmic transparency, artificial intelligence and the timing of regulation bring the two priorities into focus.
Should public policy constrain rents and expand public housing, or should prices and supply be shaped mainly by the market?
Public interventionProperty market
What this axis looks at
One poleMore public intervention, such as rent limits in defined circumstances, public housing and public influence over land use.
The other poleMore reliance on property markets, private construction, ownership and price signals to shape supply and access.
The debate in contextSpain’s housing debate includes rent caps, affordable and social housing, building more homes, public land and the role of housing as a home or an investment. These are examples of policy choices, not a claim about any one current rule.
Should public safety focus more on preventing harm, or on tougher enforcement and sanctions?
Social preventionHard line
What this axis looks at
One poleMore emphasis on prevention, mediation, community work and addressing conditions linked to crime.
The other poleMore emphasis on visible policing, stronger enforcement and tougher penalties.
The debate in contextThe debate covers policing, sentencing, prevention programs and how to respond to conflicts and repeat offending.