Economist

David Ricardo

British economist, Ricardo formulated the comparative advantage theory underpinning free trade, fought the Corn Laws and the Poor Laws, and defended the secret ballot, Catholic emancipation and religious tolerance in Parliament.

Portrait of David Ricardo

Image: Thomas Phillips · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · cropped and resized

Economist · 1772–1823

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 75%25% Unitary
Democracy 77.5%22.5% Autocracy
Security 27.5%72.5% Liberty
Assimilation 23.8%76.2% Multiculturalism
Militarist 21.2%78.8% Pacifist
Non-interventionist 68.8%31.2% Nationalist
Public 41.2%58.8% Private
Planning 31.2%68.8% Free market
Protectionism 6.2%93.8% Globalism
Irreligious 72.5%27.5% Religious
Progressive 30%70% Traditionalist
Technology 52.5%47.5% Biology

02 / What stands out

Three distinctive positions

55.5pt

Trade

6.2% Protectionism, compared with the ideology catalog’s 61.7% median.

How open should the economy be to international exchange?

37.5pt

Structure

75% Federal, compared with the ideology catalog’s 37.5% median.

Where should public power live?

31.3pt

Control

31.2% Planning, compared with the ideology catalog’s 62.5% median.

How should economic activity be coordinated?

The profile in detail

Government and accountability. Structure: 75% Federal, 25% Unitary (Strong Federal); Representation: 77.5% Democracy, 22.5% Autocracy (Strong Democracy). 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; David Ricardo sits 20.0 points above it. 274 reference profiles share this band.

Civil power and culture. Power: 27.5% Security, 72.5% Liberty (Strong Liberty); Immigration: 23.8% Assimilation, 76.2% Multiculturalism (Strong 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; David Ricardo sits 31.3 points below it. 87 reference profiles share this band.

Force and foreign policy. Diplomacy: 21.2% Militarist, 78.8% Pacifist (Strong Pacifist); Intervention: 68.8% Non-interventionist, 31.2% 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; David Ricardo sits 20.0 points above it. 203 reference profiles share this band.

Ownership, coordination and trade. Economy: 41.2% Public, 58.8% Private (Leaning Private); Control: 31.2% Planning, 68.8% Free market (Leaning Free market); Trade: 6.2% Protectionism, 93.8% Globalism (Very strong Globalism). These ask three different questions: who owns, how activity is coordinated and how the economy engages abroad. The economic profile of David Ricardo depends on that combination, rather than a single left or right classification. On Economy, the 877-profile catalog median is 53.2% Public; David Ricardo sits 12.0 points below it. 179 reference profiles share this band.

Belief and social norms. Religion: 72.5% Irreligious, 27.5% Religious (Strong Irreligious); Morality: 30% Progressive, 70% 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; David Ricardo sits 8.8 points below it. 197 reference profiles share this band.

Technology and limits. Technology: 52.5% Technology, 47.5% Biology (Balanced). This adds a perspective on innovation and biological continuity that cannot be inferred directly from the economic coordinates. For David Ricardo, the 2.5-point distance from the center indicates the intensity of this particular position. On Technology, the 877-profile catalog median is 57.5% Technology; David Ricardo sits 5.0 points below it. 225 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 David Ricardo 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.

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Frequently asked questions

What does getting David Ricardo 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 David Ricardo.

Which ideology is closest to David Ricardo?

Georgist Reformism has 93.8% compatibility in the catalog. This score combines axis proximity, overall direction, intensity and the largest difference between the profiles.

Which axis stands out for David Ricardo?

Trade is among the furthest from the center: 6.2% Protectionism and 93.8% 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.

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