(01-02-2020, 11:45 AM)mikesez Wrote:

(01-02-2020, 10:02 AM)Last42min Wrote: It looks farther apart than it actual is based on the way they plotted that circle graph. They put everything along the outside edge instead of plotting it by degree of difference. I think they'd be closer on a real x y axis. Also, I'm not appealing to that graph as any kind of authority, but it's a good visual representation of my previous point. I've toyed around with adding a 3rd axis, but that type of graph is outside my area of expertise. Don't even know how to start with that.  

To your other point. The goal in trying to compare governments shouldn't be in their policies, since that's able to be changed on a whim. Morality in government is somewhat subjective. I am trying to create a guideline for understanding the government as a whole, then making a distinction between how the people or authorities choose to wield it. Basically, I'm trying to focus on the elements of a government, sans individual policies. I've narrowed it down to two main questions. How much power do they have (can they enact any policy they want or are there restraints) and is the emphasis of that authority focused on the collective or the individual. I feel like the latter part of this also needs to be more defined.

"How much power they have" is theoretically infinite in each possible government.

Things like a bill of rights are just pieces of paper if the judges won't enforce them, if the police ignore them, if the people have no means to organize outside the government, etc.

I wouldn't try to score individual politicians on this axis.  This axis is about the nature of the entire government.

Points for frequent, free and fair elections
Points for freedom of speech, assembly, and religion
Points for freedom of association
Points for freedom to have your own weapons
Points for independent judges who can overrule the executive and the lawmakers
Points for independent prosecutors who can overrule the executive and the lawmakers
Points for not letting the executive create law
Points for not letting judges create law
Points for letting different parts of the government sue each other
Points for letting the people sue their government
Points for local control of police forces

Each of these things are obstacles for any would-be dictator.  The US gets a nearly perfect score.  Our elections are not totally fair due to closed primaries, and gerrymandering, and we only rarely have independent prosecutors.  So that would be the axis that defines a country as a whole.

Then I'd grade individual politicians on two axes.  "If the government does everything this guy wants, how much choice would individuals still have in daily life?" and "If the government does everything this guy wants, what % of GDP would be government spending?"