Economist

Adam Smith

A Scottish economist, Adam Smith founded modern economics in The Wealth of Nations, showing how the market and the division of labor generate prosperity and how the invisible hand coordinates individual interests.

Portrait of Adam Smith

Image: Unknown author Unknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · cropped and resized

Economist · 1723–1790

Profile is a model built from 240 answers simulated in character; not a statement by the person.

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01 / The profile

Twelve axes, one perspective

How to read the percentages ↗
Federal 68.8%31.2% Unitary
Democracy 47.5%52.5% Autocracy
Security 40%60% Liberty
Assimilation 40%60% Multiculturalism
Militarist 32.5%67.5% Pacifist
Non-interventionist 66.2%33.8% Nationalist
Public 31.2%68.8% Private
Planning 35%65% Free market
Protectionism 18.8%81.2% Globalism
Irreligious 60%40% Religious
Progressive 40%60% Traditionalist
Technology 67.5%32.5% Biology

02 / What stands out

Three distinctive positions

42.9pt

Trade

18.8% Protectionism, compared with the ideology catalog’s 61.7% median.

How open should the economy be to international exchange?

31.3pt

Structure

68.8% Federal, compared with the ideology catalog’s 37.5% median.

Where should public power live?

27.5pt

Control

35% Planning, compared with the ideology catalog’s 62.5% median.

How should economic activity be coordinated?

The profile in detail

Government and accountability. Structure: 68.8% Federal, 31.2% Unitary (Leaning Federal); Representation: 47.5% Democracy, 52.5% Autocracy (Balanced). This combination separates where authority is located from how leaders are selected and constrained. It preserves those two choices even when a broad political label does not distinguish them. On Representation, the 877-profile catalog median is 57.5% Democracy; Adam Smith sits 10.0 points below it. 80 reference profiles share this band.

Civil power and culture. Power: 40% Security, 60% Liberty (Leaning Liberty); Immigration: 40% Assimilation, 60% Multiculturalism (Leaning Multiculturalism). The first contrast concerns limits on civil life; the second concerns cultural adaptation and plural identities. Reading them together avoids inferring an immigration position solely from a preference about security. On Power, the 877-profile catalog median is 58.8% Security; Adam Smith sits 18.8 points below it. 151 reference profiles share this band.

Force and foreign policy. Diplomacy: 32.5% Militarist, 67.5% Pacifist (Leaning Pacifist); Intervention: 66.2% Non-interventionist, 33.8% Nationalist (Leaning Non-interventionist). Military capacity and projection of national interests are distinct choices in this model. These coordinates show how the profile combines military means and external objectives, without assuming that they always move together. On Intervention, the 877-profile catalog median is 48.8% Non-interventionist; Adam Smith sits 17.4 points above it. 203 reference profiles share this band.

Ownership, coordination and trade. Economy: 31.2% Public, 68.8% Private (Leaning Private); Control: 35% Planning, 65% Free market (Leaning Free market); Trade: 18.8% Protectionism, 81.2% Globalism (Strong Globalism). These ask three different questions: who owns, how activity is coordinated and how the economy engages abroad. The economic profile of Adam Smith depends on that combination, rather than a single left or right classification. On Economy, the 877-profile catalog median is 53.2% Public; Adam Smith sits 22.0 points below it. 179 reference profiles share this band.

Belief and social norms. Religion: 60% Irreligious, 40% Religious (Leaning Irreligious); Morality: 40% Progressive, 60% Traditionalist (Leaning Traditionalist). The model keeps religious influence separate from continuity in social norms. These values describe the reference profile; they do not assign a religion to someone who receives this match in the quiz. On Morality, the 877-profile catalog median is 38.8% Progressive; Adam Smith sits 1.2 points above it. 197 reference profiles share this band.

Technology and limits. Technology: 67.5% Technology, 32.5% Biology (Leaning Technology). This adds a perspective on innovation and biological continuity that cannot be inferred directly from the economic coordinates. For Adam Smith, the 17.5-point distance from the center indicates the intensity of this particular position. On Technology, the 877-profile catalog median is 57.5% Technology; Adam Smith sits 10.0 points above it. 299 reference profiles share this band.

03 / Connections

Nearby profiles

At the other end of the catalog

Closest ideologies

Closest countries & regions

Three views of compatibility

Further reading

Got Adam Smith on the 12 Axes test?

Look at the other nearby profiles and the axes where you differ. A match is a starting point for exploring ideas, rather than a final identity.

Understand your result ↗

Frequently asked questions

What does getting Adam Smith on the test mean?

Your twelve scores are relatively close to this reference profile. A match describes similarity inside the model; it does not imply agreement with every action, policy or belief associated with Adam Smith.

Which ideology is closest to Adam Smith?

Capitalism has 94.2% compatibility in the catalog. This score combines axis proximity, overall direction, intensity and the largest difference between the profiles.

Which axis stands out for Adam Smith?

Trade is among the furthest from the center: 18.8% Protectionism and 81.2% Globalism. Read all twelve axes to understand the full combination.

Your perspective, in detail

Where do your ideas stand?

Explore twelve dimensions and discover the combinations that make your perspective your own.

Take the 12 Axes test