The Mental Models of Politics

After the allegories and thought experiments, it’s time to name the frameworks — the lenses people use without realizing they’re wearing them, sitting beneath every political argument.

• Maps the core axes of political thought: collective vs. individual, authoritarian vs. voluntary, top-down vs. bottom-up
• Three foundational pillars: coercion is immoral, resources are scarce, power corrupts
• Connects abstract philosophy to the concrete decisions states make about laws, economies, and citizens

If you know someone’s position on one issue, you can usually predict the rest. This explains why — and gives you the tools to examine your own assumptions.