The Research Behind the Profiles
Grounded in peer-reviewed political psychology
MyVote’s 8 civic profiles are derived from four evidence-based frameworks used by political scientists and psychologists to explain how people actually form their civic values — not the partisan labels news media assigns.
Moral Foundations Theory
Jonathan Haidt & Jesse Graham
Six universal moral foundations — Care, Fairness, Loyalty, Authority, Sanctity, and Liberty — that people weight differently, producing distinct moral "taste profiles" that map onto civic orientations.
Big Five Personality Research
Costa & McCrae / Goldberg
Decades of replicated research showing that Openness, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Extraversion, and Neuroticism predict political values and civic behavior with surprising consistency.
Pew Research Political Typology
Pew Research Center
Large-sample cluster analysis of American political attitudes that consistently identifies 9–12 coherent value groups that don't map neatly onto the two-party spectrum.
Post-Materialist Values
Ronald Inglehart
Research showing that as economic security rises, a segment of citizens prioritizes self-expression, autonomy, and quality of life over security and conformity — reshaping political coalitions in democracies worldwide.
Your views are balanced across multiple dimensions and you resist being boxed into a single ideology. You weigh policies based on evidence and real-world impact rather than labels. We'll show you balanced coverage, factual summaries, and multiple perspectives so you can form your own well-informed opinions.
Research Basis
Big Five personality studies (Costa & McCrae) find pragmatists score high on Agreeableness and lower on rigid ideological Openness. Jonathan Haidt's Moral Foundations Theory shows this type balances all six foundations — Care, Fairness, Loyalty, Authority, Sanctity, and Liberty — rather than elevating any single one. Pew Research's Political Typology consistently identifies an "Ambivalent" cluster that supports programs from both parties based on issue-by-issue assessment rather than partisan identity. This profile correlates with high need for cognition and preference for complexity over simplicity in political judgment.
Historical Parallels
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Primary1890–1969 · 34th President & Supreme Allied Commander
“Neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him.”
Eisenhower built the Interstate Highway System (massive federal investment) while simultaneously warning against the military-industrial complex — evaluating every issue on evidence and real-world outcomes, not ideology. He left office as one of the most broadly respected presidents in American history precisely because he refused to be captured by either party's orthodoxy.
Henry Clay
1777–1852 · U.S. Senator & "The Great Compromiser"
“I would rather be right than be president.”
Daniel Patrick Moynihan
1927–2003 · U.S. Senator & Policy Architect
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.”
You believe strongly in individual liberty — both personal and economic — and are skeptical of government overreach. You tend to prefer market-based and community-driven solutions over government programs. We'll surface stories about regulations, taxes, property rights, and civil liberties.
Research Basis
Big Five studies link this profile to high Openness (valuing autonomy and novelty) combined with high Conscientiousness (personal responsibility and self-reliance). Jonathan Haidt's Moral Foundations Theory identifies a dominant foundation — a strong sensitivity to coercion and paternalism — with weaker Loyalty-to-institutions. Ronald Inglehart's post-materialist values research shows that as societies become more prosperous, a segment prioritizes individual self-expression and freedom from state control over collective security. This profile appears most strongly in Pew's "Core Conservative" and "Libertarian" clusters.
Historical Parallels
Barry Goldwater
Primary1909–1998 · U.S. Senator & 1964 Presidential Candidate
“A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you have.”
Goldwater's "The Conscience of a Conservative" defined a generation of limited-government thinking. He opposed federal overreach in both economic and personal life — including opposing government intrusion into private behavior — arguing that individual liberty, not government programs, was the true foundation of a free society.
Milton Friedman
1912–2006 · Nobel Laureate Economist
“The society that puts equality before freedom will end up with neither.”
Frederick Douglass
1818–1895 · Abolitionist, Statesman & Author
“I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others.”
You believe in shared responsibility — healthcare, education, housing, and making sure no one gets left behind. You're likely interested in social programs, community investment, and how policy affects people who are struggling. We'll surface stories about healthcare, housing, education, and civic institutions.
Research Basis
Big Five personality research consistently links this profile to high Agreeableness (empathy, cooperative behavior) and high Openness (concern for social justice). Jonathan Haidt's Moral Foundations Theory shows dominant and foundations — a heightened sensitivity to suffering and a strong belief that outcomes should be equitable. Research on "moral elevation" (Jonathan Haidt, Dacher Keltner) shows this profile is particularly motivated by witnessing acts of virtue and sacrifice. Pew's Political Typology places this cluster in the "Solid Liberal" and "Opportunity Democrat" groups, unified by belief in government as a vehicle for community investment.
Historical Parallels
Jane Addams
Primary1860–1935 · Nobel Peace Prize Winner & Social Reformer
“The good we secure for ourselves is precarious unless it is secured for all of us.”
Addams co-founded Hull House in Chicago — a community center offering childcare, English classes, job training, and healthcare to thousands of immigrants. She helped establish the modern social safety net not as a government abstraction but as a practical conviction: society is only as strong as its most vulnerable members, and the strong have a responsibility to act.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
1882–1945 · 32nd President of the United States
“The test of our progress is not whether we add to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have little.”
Dorothea Dix
1802–1887 · Social Reformer & Superintendent of Army Nurses
“I tell what I have seen.”
You tend to doubt that large institutions — government, media, or corporations — consistently act in the public interest. You value transparency, accountability, and independent information sources. We'll prioritize fact-based coverage, show primary sources, and give you multiple perspectives on every story so you can judge for yourself.
Research Basis
Political psychology research (Citrin, Miller) links political distrust to higher *need for cognition* — a tendency to seek out complexity and question surface-level explanations. Jonathan Haidt's Moral Foundations Theory shows this profile scores high on and , with strong skepticism of and -based appeals. Big Five studies link institutional skepticism to high Openness (desire to question norms) and lower Agreeableness (willingness to challenge). Pew's Political Typology identifies a consistent "Disaffected" cluster that distrusts both parties and government institutions — not from apathy, but from an evidence-based conviction that institutions underperform their promises.
Historical Parallels
Thomas Jefferson
Primary1743–1826 · 3rd President of the United States
“The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.”
Jefferson fiercely distrusted concentrated power — in banks, standing armies, and central government alike. He believed citizens must remain perpetually skeptical of institutions to preserve their freedom, and built constitutional safeguards to limit what those institutions could do. His vision was a republic of independent, self-governing citizens who never fully surrendered their judgment to any authority.
Henry David Thoreau
1817–1862 · Author & Philosopher
“That government is best which governs least.”
Ida B. Wells
1862–1931 · Journalist, Civil Rights Leader & Co-founder of the NAACP
“The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.”
You believe the most consequential decisions happen at the city, county, and state level — not in Congress. You want to know what's happening at your school board, city hall, and state legislature. We'll focus your feed on local races, local government decisions, and community news.
Research Basis
"Place attachment" research (Leila Scannell & Robert Gifford, 2010) demonstrates that strong local identity correlates directly with civic participation, volunteerism, and political engagement — more so than national or abstract political identity. Big Five studies find this profile tends toward high Conscientiousness (follow-through on community commitments) and high Agreeableness (cooperative, relationship-oriented). Pew's research on local engagement finds that people who attend city council meetings and know their neighbors by name report higher civic satisfaction and efficacy than those who engage only at the national level. This aligns with E.J. Dionne's concept of "communitarian liberalism" — the idea that democracy is most real at the scale where people can actually see each other.
Historical Parallels
Fiorello LaGuardia
Primary1882–1947 · Mayor of New York City, 1934–1945
“I sometimes violate party lines for the good of the city.”
LaGuardia believed city hall — not Washington — was where government actually touched people's lives. He personally arrived at fires, read comics over the radio during a newspaper strike, and rebuilt NYC's infrastructure from the ground up. To him, local governance was not a stepping stone to higher office; it was the whole point.
Jane Jacobs
1916–2006 · Urban Theorist & Activist
“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”
Maynard Jackson
1938–2003 · First Black Mayor of Atlanta
“Atlanta is too busy to hate.”
You're engaged with federal policy, Congress, and America's role in the world. You prefer content about major legislation, foreign affairs, and the macro forces shaping the country. We'll keep you current on national politics, federal agencies, Supreme Court decisions, and international news.
Research Basis
Big Five research links this profile to high Conscientiousness (systematic, long-term planning orientation) and high Openness (comfort with policy complexity and abstract systems). Jonathan Haidt's Moral Foundations Theory shows elevated and foundations — not as deference to individuals, but as respect for institutional structures that aggregate and act on collective knowledge. Political scientist Philip Tetlock's research on expert forecasting finds that "fox" thinkers (who integrate many sources of information at a national/global scale) outperform "hedgehog" thinkers (committed to single big ideas) — the national policy watcher tends toward the fox model. Pew's typology places this cluster in groups that closely track federal legislation and believe government at scale is a uniquely powerful tool for progress.
Historical Parallels
George Marshall
Primary1880–1959 · Secretary of State & Nobel Peace Prize Winner
“Don't fight the problem, decide it.”
Marshall architected the Marshall Plan — committing billions to rebuild a shattered Europe and reorient the post-WWII world order. He believed the United States had not just the power but the responsibility to lead at scale, and that only strategic federal policy — patient, evidence-based, and long-horizon — could shape outcomes of that magnitude.
Dean Acheson
1893–1971 · U.S. Secretary of State, 1949–1953
“No good comes from shouting at the wind.”
George Kennan
1904–2005 · Diplomat & Author of Containment Strategy
“Heroism is endurance for one moment more.”
You believe law enforcement needs adequate authority to keep communities secure, and you're willing to accept tradeoffs to get there. You follow crime, policing, and community safety news closely. We'll make sure public safety coverage, local crime reports, and policing policy stories are front and center.
Research Basis
Jonathan Haidt's Moral Foundations Theory identifies elevated and foundations in this profile — not as obedience to individuals, but as belief in hierarchical social structures as stabilizers of collective life. This is distinct from authoritarianism: research (Feldman, Stenner) shows public safety orientation correlates with desire for *order* in response to *threat*, not with desire to dominate others. Big Five studies find high Conscientiousness (rule-following, institutional respect) and lower Openness to disrupting established social arrangements. Pew's Political Typology places this cluster in groups that consistently prioritize crime and public order as top-tier policy concerns, and who view strong, well-funded law enforcement as a community asset rather than a threat.
Historical Parallels
Theodore Roosevelt
Primary1858–1919 · 26th President & NYC Police Commissioner
“No man is above the law and no man is below it.”
As NYC Police Commissioner in the 1890s, Roosevelt patrolled beats at midnight to catch officers sleeping on duty and rooted out corruption at every level. He believed a well-ordered, safe society was the precondition for everything else — and was willing to give law enforcement the authority and accountability it needed to actually deliver that safety.
August Vollmer
1876–1955 · "Father of Modern Policing"
“The policeman's job is not to make arrests — it is to prevent crime.”
Eliot Ness
1903–1957 · Federal Agent & Cleveland Safety Director
“I was taught to fight fair.”
You combine a strong belief in personal freedom with a genuine investment in your local community. You probably don't fit neatly into any political label and care more about practical outcomes than ideology. We'll show you local news, candidate comparisons, and coverage that cuts through partisan noise.
Research Basis
Amitai Etzioni's "communitarian" framework (The Spirit of Community, 1993) defines this profile precisely: rights and responsibilities are inseparable, and voluntary community bonds are more durable and legitimate than either market transactions or government mandates. Big Five research finds high Openness (intellectual curiosity, comfort with unconventional positions) combined with moderate Conscientiousness (personal responsibility without rigidity). Alexis de Tocqueville's foundational research on American democracy identified "voluntary associations" as the key mediating institution between isolated individuals and an overreaching state — exactly the civic ecosystem this profile seeks to nurture. Pew's typology often places this cluster outside standard partisan groupings, reflecting its genuinely cross-cutting nature.
Historical Parallels
Benjamin Franklin
Primary1706–1790 · Founding Father, Inventor & Statesman
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”
Franklin defied every label: a self-made entrepreneur who founded public libraries, fire departments, and mutual-aid societies. He combined fierce personal independence with a genuine belief in community investment — proving that individual freedom and civic responsibility are not opposites but are, in fact, each other's prerequisites.
Alexis de Tocqueville
1805–1859 · Historian, Diplomat & Author of Democracy in America
“The health of a democratic society may be measured by the quality of functions performed by private citizens.”
Wendell Berry
1934–present · Author, Farmer & Agrarian Philosopher
“It may be that when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work, and when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey.”
Not sure which profile fits you? The quiz takes 2–3 minutes and never assigns a partisan label.
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