Shifting Colors

Real life is a lot messier than any chart or axis I'm likely to come up with. The scattered, clumpy, shifting patterns in the image below are a little bit closer to how politics actually works.

NOTE: If none of the circles are moving, your browser isn't set up to handle animated SVG images. Sorry.

Each circle in the image can be seen as a particular faction or ideology coming into and out of power or popularity. Multiple colors converging represents how coalitions form and break up. Individual dots moving away from the center are becoming more extreme, while those drifting towards the center are becoming less so.

Politics is messy, but politics is built up from the individual choices of many people. When you step back from these recurring factional battles, the broader political patterns represented on the Asplund Chart emerge.

What Color Are You?

This may be the shortest political quiz on the internet. Two questions and you're done...

Question 1: If you knew nothing about a political proposal other than it was supported by President Barack Obama (or your local left of center political leaders), would you...

• probably support the proposal
• probably oppose the proposal
• need to dig in a little deeper before venturing an opinion

The Asplund Chart

The map is not the territory. But exploring the territory is a lot easier if you have a map.

The Asplund Chart should be your map of politics. Find out why.