RIGHT-CENTER BIAS
These media sources are slight to moderately conservative in bias. They often publish factual information that utilizes loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by appeals to emotion or stereotypes) to favor conservative causes. These sources are generally trustworthy for information but may require further investigation. See all Right-Center sources.
- Overall, we rate The Advocates for Self-Government Right-Center Biased based on support for libertarian-leaning free-market capitalism. We also rate them Mostly Factual in reporting, rather than High, due to the occasional use of poor sources and not aligning with the consensus of science regarding human-influenced climate change.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: RIGHT-CENTER
Factual Reporting: MOSTLY FACTUAL
Country: USA
Press Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: Minimal Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: MEDIUM CREDIBILITY
History
Advocates for Self-Government is a non-profit, libertarian educational organization. It was founded in 1985 by Marshall Fritz. As of 2017, Michael Sertic leads the organization as its president. Chris Rufer is the chairman of the board of directors. According to their about page, the mission of Advocates for Self-Government is “To attract and persuade people to embrace libertarian principles and to empower libertarians to be highly successful at presenting the ideas of liberty to the world.”
The organization is best known for popularizing the “World’s Smallest Political Quiz,” which has been taken online over 23 million times.
Read our profile on the United States government and media.
Funded by / Ownership
The Advocates for Self-Government is a non-profit funded through donations and the sale of merchandise from an online shop.
Analysis / Bias
The website is best known for hosting a political quiz that uses the Nolan Chart, a political spectrum diagram created by American libertarian activist David Nolan in 1969. The chart plots political views along two axes, representing economic freedom and personal freedom. It expands political view analysis beyond the traditional one-dimensional left-right/progressive-conservative divide in order to position libertarianism as outside the traditional spectrum.
Photo: The Nolan Chart
In August 2011, the libertarian Reason magazine worked with the Rupe organization to survey 1,200 Americans by telephone and place their views within the Nolan chart categories. The Reason-Rupe poll found that “Americans cannot easily be bundled into either the ‘liberal’ or ‘conservative’ groups.” Specifically, 28% expressed conservative views, 24% expressed libertarian views, 20% expressed communitarian views, and 28% expressed liberal views. The margin of error was ±3.
The World’s Smallest Political Quiz has been criticized as being “biased by using leading questions, favoring libertarian results, and imposing the libertarian definition of freedom.”
The website also provides educational materials related to libertarianism and original news reporting. News stories use moderately loaded language that favors small government libertarian perspectives such as this: Democratic Presidential Candidates Get $15 Minimum Wage Wrong. The website frequently reports negatively on socialism such as this: Swedish Ex-Prime Minister Rebukes Bernie: Socialism Only Destroys. This article uses a variety of factually mixed right biased sources such as Mises. Although they report negatively on progressive economics, they do not have favorable opinions regarding the former Trump Administrations’ policies such as this: Promises Swept: Trump Escalates War in Syria For Nonsense Oil Strategy. Finally, when it comes to science, they present a skeptical view on human-influenced climate change, which is opposed to the consensus of science. In general, most stories are fact-based and support right-leaning free-market capitalism.
Failed Fact Checks
- None in the Last 5 years
Overall, we rate The Advocates for Self-Government Right-Center Biased based on support for libertarian-leaning free-market capitalism. We also rate them Mostly Factual in reporting, rather than High, due to the occasional use of poor sources and not aligning with the consensus of science regarding human-influenced climate change. (D. Van Zandt 12/8/2019) Updated (01/05/2022)
Source: https://www.theadvocates.org/
Last Updated on May 7, 2023 by Media Bias Fact Check
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Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources