Economist
Ludwig Erhard
The father of the German economic miracle, Erhard implemented the ordoliberal social market economy, uniting regulated free competition, monetary stability, and welfare, later governing as Germany's chancellor.

Image: Eric Koch for Anefo · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons · cropped and resized
Economist and statesman · 1897–1977
Profile is a model built from 240 answers simulated in character; not a statement by the person.
Compare your own views01 / The profile
Twelve axes, one perspective
02 / What stands out
Three distinctive positions
43.7pt
Trade
18% Protectionism, compared with the ideology catalog’s 61.7% median.
How open should the economy be to international exchange?
35.0pt
Control
27.5% Planning, compared with the ideology catalog’s 62.5% median.
How should economic activity be coordinated?
25.0pt
Economy
32.5% Public, compared with the ideology catalog’s 57.5% median.
Who should own productive assets and provide essential services?
The profile in detail
Government and accountability. Structure: 42.5% Federal, 57.5% Unitary (Leaning Unitary); Representation: 80% Democracy, 20% 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; Ludwig Erhard sits 22.5 points above it. 274 reference profiles share this band.
Civil power and culture. Power: 38.8% Security, 61.2% Liberty (Leaning Liberty); Immigration: 61.3% Assimilation, 38.7% Multiculturalism (Leaning Assimilation). 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; Ludwig Erhard sits 20.0 points below it. 151 reference profiles share this band.
Force and foreign policy. Diplomacy: 33.8% Militarist, 66.2% Pacifist (Leaning Pacifist); Intervention: 52.5% Non-interventionist, 47.5% Nationalist (Balanced). 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; Ludwig Erhard sits 3.7 points above it. 167 reference profiles share this band.
Ownership, coordination and trade. Economy: 32.5% Public, 67.5% Private (Leaning Private); Control: 27.5% Planning, 72.5% Free market (Strong Free market); Trade: 18% Protectionism, 82% Globalism (Strong Globalism). These ask three different questions: who owns, how activity is coordinated and how the economy engages abroad. The economic profile of Ludwig Erhard depends on that combination, rather than a single left or right classification. On Economy, the 877-profile catalog median is 53.2% Public; Ludwig Erhard sits 20.7 points below it. 179 reference profiles share this band.
Belief and social norms. Religion: 41.3% Irreligious, 58.7% Religious (Leaning Religious); 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; Ludwig Erhard sits 1.2 points above it. 197 reference profiles share this band.
Technology and limits. Technology: 65% Technology, 35% Biology (Leaning Technology). This adds a perspective on innovation and biological continuity that cannot be inferred directly from the economic coordinates. For Ludwig Erhard, the 15.0-point distance from the center indicates the intensity of this particular position. On Technology, the 877-profile catalog median is 57.5% Technology; Ludwig Erhard sits 7.5 points above it. 299 reference profiles share this band.
03 / Connections
Nearby profiles

Montesquieu
94.9% compatibility

Renan Santos
94.9% compatibility

Helmut Kohl
93.5% compatibility

Sérgio Moro
93.3% compatibility
Otto von Habsburg
92.9% compatibility

John Locke
92.8% compatibility
At the other end of the catalog
Closest ideologies
Closest countries & regions
Three views of compatibility
Political
Conservative Liberalism
95.4%
12 axes considered
Social
Conservative Liberalism
96.9%
9 axes considered
Economic
Liberal Technocracy
99.5%
3 axes considered
Further reading
1957
Prosperity Through Competition
Find the book ↗Got Ludwig Erhard 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 Ludwig Erhard 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 Ludwig Erhard.
Which ideology is closest to Ludwig Erhard?
Conservative Liberalism has 95.4% compatibility in the catalog. This score combines axis proximity, overall direction, intensity and the largest difference between the profiles.
Which axis stands out for Ludwig Erhard?
Trade is among the furthest from the center: 18% Protectionism and 82% 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.



