Open instrument · reproducible scoring

Methodology

The complete scoring rule, current question weights, and limits of what a result can establish.

What we promise

01

Published weights

Every item’s axis weights appear below and ship as an immutable, content-hashed artifact.

02

Per-result receipts

Each result identifies which answers moved its coordinates and by how much.

03

Server-authoritative results

The server computes coordinates from stored answers. Coordinates are not editable URL parameters.

Scoring model

Four forced-choice responses map to equally spaced values:

Response	Display value	Internal basis points
Strongly disagree	−1.5	−15,000
Disagree	−0.5	−5,000
Agree	+0.5	+5,000
Strongly agree	+1.5	+15,000

Equal spacing between ordinal response categories is a modeling assumption, not an empirical finding.

raw = Σ wᵢ · v(rᵢ)denom(axis) = Σ |wᵢ| · 1.5coordinate = 10 · raw / denom

The denominator is fixed separately for each axis and includes every item on that axis, answered or not. Unanswered items contribute zero, so skipped items reduce the achievable magnitude. At least 80% of all items must be answered before a result is stored. The scoring engine performs its calculations with fixed-precision integers, not floating point.

Worked three-item example

Weights +2, −3, +1 and responses +1.5, −0.5, +0.5.
raw = (2 × 1.5) + (−3 × −0.5) + (1 × 0.5) = 5.
denom = (|2| + |−3| + |1|) × 1.5 = 9.
coordinate = 10 × 5 / 9 = +5.56 after display rounding.

Current instrument weights

SHA-256d5a7268bfcd268ac077d9be6402aa51a7503109837ffdd3aec0edc9c27e7a3e3

Published instruments are immutable. Their content hash identifies the exact questions and weights used for a result.

Item ID	Question	Construct	Econ	Social
`econ_redist_01`	Government should tax rich people more to pay for public needs.	`econ_redistribution`	-3	0
`econ_redist_02`	People with high incomes should keep most of what they earn.	`econ_redistribution`	3	0
`econ_redist_03`	Government aid should make sure all people can meet basic needs.	`econ_redistribution`	-3	0
`econ_redist_04`	Private groups should give more aid than government programs.	`econ_redistribution`	2	0
`econ_redist_05`	All people should get basic health care from a public plan.	`econ_redistribution`	-3	0
`econ_redist_06`	People should choose their own health insurance in a private market.	`econ_redistribution`	3	0
`econ_redist_07`	Government should narrow large gaps between rich people and poor people.	`econ_redistribution`	-2	0
`econ_reg_01`	Big firms need firm rules to stop them from using their power badly.	`econ_market_regulation`	-3	0
`econ_reg_02`	When firms compete, buyers gain more than when government makes rules.	`econ_market_regulation`	3	0
`econ_reg_03`	Workers need strong unions to seek fair deals from bosses.	`econ_market_regulation`	-3	0
`econ_reg_04`	Bosses should set pay with no government rules.	`econ_market_regulation`	3	0
`econ_reg_05`	The minimum wage should be high enough to cover basic needs.	`econ_market_regulation`	-2	0
`econ_reg_06`	The US should let goods from other lands come in with no added tax.	`econ_market_regulation`	2	0
`econ_env_01`	Government should make firms pay for the carbon waste they cause.	`econ_environment`	-3	1
`econ_env_02`	Fighting climate change is not worth it if gas and power cost more.	`econ_environment`	3	-1
`econ_env_03`	Public funds should help towns switch to clean power.	`econ_environment`	-2	0
`econ_env_04`	Private funds can fight climate change better than public funds.	`econ_environment`	2	0
`econ_env_05`	Keeping nature safe should come before quick growth in jobs and wealth.	`econ_environment`	-3	0
`econ_env_06`	Quick growth in jobs and wealth should come before new rules for nature.	`econ_environment`	3	0
`soc_trad_01`	Marriage of a man and a woman should have a special place in law.	`soc_traditionalism`	0	3
`soc_trad_02`	Same-sex couples should have the same legal status as other couples.	`soc_traditionalism`	0	-3
`soc_trad_03`	From the start of pregnancy, ending it should be against the law.	`soc_traditionalism`	0	3
`soc_trad_04`	A woman should be able to choose to end her pregnancy.	`soc_traditionalism`	0	-3
`soc_trad_05`	Schools should teach kids to honor old family roles.	`soc_traditionalism`	0	2
`soc_trad_06`	People should be free to reject old rules about gender.	`soc_traditionalism`	0	-2
`soc_trad_07`	Our way of life is stronger when people only have sex within marriage.	`soc_traditionalism`	0	2
`soc_auth_01`	Police should have broad powers to keep public order.	`soc_state_authority`	0	3
`soc_auth_02`	Police power should stay small when crowds are in the streets.	`soc_state_authority`	0	-3
`soc_auth_03`	Death should be a fair sentence for the worst murders.	`soc_state_authority`	0	3
`soc_auth_04`	The state should never put a person to death for a crime.	`soc_state_authority`	0	-3
`soc_auth_05`	A strong armed force should get a large share of public funds.	`soc_state_authority`	1	2
`soc_auth_06`	We should cut funds for the armed forces to pay for people's needs.	`soc_state_authority`	-1	-2
`soc_natimm_01`	The US should let fewer people move here from other lands each year.	`soc_nationalism_immigration`	-1	3
`soc_natimm_02`	The US should let more people move here from other lands each year.	`soc_nationalism_immigration`	1	-3
`soc_natimm_03`	People who move here should take on the main ways of life in the US.	`soc_nationalism_immigration`	0	3
`soc_natimm_04`	People who move here should be free to keep the ways of their own land.	`soc_nationalism_immigration`	0	-3
`soc_natimm_05`	Love of country should be a key part of what each child learns.	`soc_nationalism_immigration`	0	2
`soc_natimm_06`	People should be free to speak out against the US in public.	`soc_nationalism_immigration`	0	-2
`soc_lib_01`	The government may read what people send to stop danger.	`soc_civil_liberties`	0	3
`soc_lib_02`	The state should not be able to read people's private messages.	`soc_civil_liberties`	0	-3
`soc_lib_03`	To keep people safe, strict laws should limit who can own guns.	`soc_civil_liberties`	0	2
`soc_lib_04`	Law-abiding adults should be free to own guns for self-defense.	`soc_civil_liberties`	0	-2
`soc_lib_05`	People who sell hard drugs should go to prison.	`soc_civil_liberties`	-1	2
`soc_lib_06`	Sex work agreed to by two adults should be legal.	`soc_civil_liberties`	1	-2
`soc_relig_01`	Public schools should allow teacher-led prayer.	`soc_religion_public_life`	0	3
`soc_relig_02`	Public schools should keep official prayer out of the classroom.	`soc_religion_public_life`	0	-3
`soc_relig_03`	Those who make laws should follow the teachings of their faith.	`soc_religion_public_life`	0	3
`soc_relig_04`	Laws should have reasons that do not depend on religion.	`soc_religion_public_life`	0	-3
`soc_relig_05`	Public signs should show the faith passed down in our country.	`soc_religion_public_life`	0	2
`soc_relig_06`	The state should not favor any faith.	`soc_religion_public_life`	0	-2

Frequently asked questions

How is the test scored?

Each response has a fixed value that is multiplied by the question’s published economic and social weights. The server sums those contributions and normalizes each axis to a coordinate from −10 to +10.

Why do the receipts sum to my score?

Every receipt is the exact normalized contribution of one answer to one axis. Adding the economic receipts produces the economic coordinate, and adding the social receipts produces the social coordinate.

Can I trust an old result link?

A stored result includes the content hash of the immutable instrument used to score it. While the result still exists, an old link keeps its server-computed coordinates and identifies the exact published questions and weights behind them.

What do you store?

We store submitted answers, per-item timings, total duration, consent version and time, the instrument hash, result access settings, and an IP address that is nulled after 90 days by default. The privacy page explains retention and deletion in detail.