Pournelle chart

The Pournelle chart, developed by Jerry Pournelle in his 1963 political science Ph.D. dissertation, is a two-dimensional coordinate system which can be used to distinguish political ideologies.

The two axes are as follows: Pournelle arranged American liberalism, socialism, and communism, in the upper right-hand quadrant of high state control and high rationalism.

Conservatism, fascism, and Nazism are placed in the lower right-hand quadrant of high state control and low rationalism.

Libertarians (including anarcho-capitalists) and Objectivists are placed in the upper left-hand corner of low state control and high rationalism.

Each diagonal axis contains natural political allies.