Control axis
Planned vs Laissez-Faire
How hard should the government steer the economy?
Economy asks who owns things; Control asks who makes the rules. You can favour private ownership and still want strict regulation of monopolies, minimum wages and consumer protection. Comparing the two economic axes shows which of those you care about more.
Planned
The state should actively steer the economy with regulation, high taxes on the rich and, at the extreme, central planning.
Statements that score Planned
- “I prefer a planned economy over a free and open economy.”
- “It is necessary for the government to intervene in the economy to protect consumers.”
- “Without economic regulation, monopolies will dominate the entire market.”
Laissez-Faire
The less the government interferes in markets, the better. Most economic crises are caused by regulation, not by markets.
Statements that score Laissez-Faire
- “Government should not regulate the economy at all.”
- “Economic regulation causes more harm than good.”
- “Excessive government intervention is a threat to the economy.”
In practice
Where it shows up
It appears in debates about regulating big tech and banks, price controls and rent caps, environmental and labour rules, industrial policy, and whether the government should pick strategic sectors to support.
A common misunderstanding
This is not the same as the economy axis. You can want private ownership and still strict rules against monopolies, or support public ownership while disliking red tape. Comparing the two economic scores shows which mix you prefer.
Reading your score
A middle score means regulation where markets fail and freedom elsewhere. Above 75% Planned you want the state to steer the economy actively; below 25% you would keep rules to a minimum even when markets misbehave.
Historical figures at each end
Where the thinkers and leaders in our figure set stand on this axis.
Result labels
Your score is the percentage toward Planned. The label shown on your result depends on which band it falls in.
- 91-100%Planned Economy
- 76-90%Interventionism
- 61-75%Regulationism
- 40-60%Balanced
- 25-39%Markets
- 10-24%Free Market
- 0-9%Laissez-Faire
Where do you land on control?
Take the test to see your score on this axis and the other eleven.
Take the 12 Axes test