My lefty comrades may get their backs up at this one:

Respondents were first asked to rate themselves on a scale of 1-10, with 1 signifying “left-wing” and 10 signifying “right-wing”, to assess how they perceive their own political beliefs.

These perceptions were then compared with indicators of the respondents’ actual ideological position, which was established by asking them whether they believed wealth should be divided more equally.

Dr Rockey’s paper concluded: “Individuals either choose not to, or are unable to, locate their ideological positions reliably compared to those of the positions of their compatriots.

“This is further evidence not just that voters are far from fully informed, but that somehow voters consistently misperceive where they lie on the ideological spectrum."

Not sure about the scientific validity of the study. After all, you could argue that an inflated interest in "the common good" and a more equal division of wealth is in one's self-interest, even (or perhaps especially) for capitalists. And it's certainly possible to have a high net worth and be a socialist. Still, it's awfully amusing.

Jonathon Narvey is the Editor of The Propagandist...More >>