How One Simple Test Could Transform Texas Voting Forever

In 2016, my political science professor at Midland College walked into the lecture hall and told us to prepare for an important quiz.

She said it could potentially be one of the most important we would take that semester. We all glanced nervously at one another, wondering how we'd missed the memo about an upcoming exam.

"A quiz today? That's not in the syllabus. Did I miss something?"

Some Context

Dr. Richards had already won my admiration in a class of hers the previous semester. She was such a great professor that I suddenly became interested in politics--I was apathetic about the subject before then.

I enrolled in her classes even though I didn't need the credits to graduate. Most people don't spend more cash on extra college courses that aren't required, but there I was, doing it, and I wasn't the only one. She was just that kind of teacher.

She never hinted at her political leanings or personal opinions during lectures, and she encouraged us all to play devil's advocate and fiercely research all angles, especially the ones we hated the most.

She listened to our views on various hot-button topics with classmates and then she'd tell us to switch teams and argue against our own long-held beliefs and convictions. We quickly realized how hard it was to argue against ourselves. Most of us hadn't taken much time to dive into the nitty gritty of any political candidates or parties aside from our own.

She never taught us what to think. She taught us how to think.

Anyway, back to the story...

There we were, sweating bullets. Majorly stressing over this surprise quiz.

Dr. Richards cracked a smile, told us not to worry, and asked us to stand up and walk to the left side of the room if we considered ourselves a Democrat, the right side of the room if we believed we were a Republican, and the middle of the room if we identified more with a third-party option.

Then, she asked if anyone cared to share why they chose the place they were standing. Some students mentioned social reasons. Some mentioned fiscal reasons. Some said they simply chose the party their parents did. Others had no idea.

Then, she sent us back to our desks and explained (to our relief) that the test we were about to take didn't have any right or wrong answers. It was a short quiz to determine which political candidate we truly sided with. This way, we'd be more comfortable casting our vote during the following election season.

Skeptical, we all opened our laptops and took the quiz,.....then looked over our results.

She asked the class if anyone was surprised by their results. More than a dozen hands shot up in the air.

Some didn't realize their beliefs aligned more with a Libertarian candidate's. Others had no clue a Democratic candidate was a better fit for them. Several learned their values were better suited for a vote cast with a Republican candidate.

The number of students who went home with a different point of view than they came in with struck a chord with me. I have asked my friends and family to take the test, and today.....I ask you to take it.

Where Do You Truly Stand on Politics?

So, are you interested in seeing who you side with?

I'd also like to mention, that this quiz is not affiliated with any interest groups, political parties, investors, or shareholders. It's also the world's most popular guide to helping citizens understand voting, political parties, and their candidates. Not only can you learn more about how you should cast a vote in the US, but you can also take similar unbiased questionnaires to find out where you'd stand if you were to cast a vote on the other side of the globe, which is kind of cool.

That's enough from me, but I hope you'll check it out. If you find it as useful as we did, I encourage you to share it with your friends and family who may be on the fence when it comes to politics!

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