The Asplund Chart

The Asplund Chart is a map of how politics works. Not just today's politics. Not just American politics. The Asplund Chart is a window into politics everywhere and everywhen.



Politics emerges from the individual decisions of everyone who participates in the political system. These decisions create the eight COLORFUL factions that surround a boring GRAY center. Each faction is composed of many individuals so in the real world each color comes in all of its various hues. People move freely between factions but we usually make such transitions gradually and move to a neighboring faction instead of jumping across the chart. Almost everybody has different factional affiliations depending on the issue (or the way the issue is framed).

These nine factions generally form four competing four-color coalitions:

1. Right wing coalitions attempt to draw together RED, ORANGE, and YELLOW people (along with as many GRAYs as possible) to advance conservative goals. The ultimate goal of the conservative movement is to restore political institutions to some earlier stage to address flaws in the status quo.
2. Left wing coalitions attempt to draw together BLUE, DENIM, and AQUA people (along with as many GRAYs as possible) to advance progressive goals. The ultimate goal of the progressive movement is to revolutionize existing political institutions to address flaws in the status quo.
3. The governing establishment brings together RED, PURPLE, and BLUE people while maintaining the support of some GRAYs. The ultimate goal of the governing establishment is to concentrate power within existing political institutions to give those with political authority tools to address flaws in the status quo.
4. Liberty coalitions unite AQUA, GREEN, and YELLOW people (along with as many GRAYs as possible) to protect non-partisan political freedoms. The ultimate goal of the liberty alliance is to reduce the amount of power concentrated in existing political institutions to allow individuals and society to reform the flawed status quo.

Clearly these coalitions are not equally powerful. Liberty coalitions are generally weak compared to the other three as long as most individuals within a society believe themselves to be free or believe the personal cost of seeking freedom is too high. Left- and right-wing coalitions have power swing back and forth between them, with neither side holding a definitive advantage for extended periods of time. The governing establishment, by definition the final decision-making authority in every society, has a structural advantage in the battle between coalitions. As long as the governing establishment is seen as either legitimate or sufficiently ruthless, almost every political contest will be decided in its favor.