Murray Rothbard
Historical and international
Photo: Ludwig von Mises Institute, CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Position estimated from: For a New Liberty: anarcho-capitalism; later paleolibertarian alliance with the right.
Political compass placement
| Map dimension | Score (0–100) | Position | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 99 | strongly toward market | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 59 | near the center | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 11 | strongly toward libertarian | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 55 | near the center | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 5 | strongly toward non-intervention |
All nine underlying dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Economic ownership Collective ownership ↔ Private ownership | 100 | strongly toward private ownership |
| Civil liberties Civil liberty ↔ State restrictions | 17 | toward civil liberty |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 55 | near the center |
| Social and cultural values Progressive ↔ Traditionalist | 67 | toward traditionalist |
| Political governance Democratic ↔ Autocratic | 5 | strongly toward democratic |
| Equality and hierarchy Egalitarian ↔ Hierarchical | 71 | toward hierarchical |
| Economic management Free market ↔ State planning | 3 | strongly toward free market |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 5 | strongly toward non-intervention |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 40 | near the center |
These positions are estimates on the Atlas’s nine-dimension scale, produced by running the available evidence through the same questions and scoring used for test-takers. They are interpretations for comparison, not objective measurements. How scores are made.
Key positions
| Statement | Position | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| The means of production should ultimately be owned collectively. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Opposition parties should be free to compete in elections. | Strongly agrees | estimated |
| Central economic planning is preferable to decentralized market decisions. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| People should be free to criticize the government without fear of legal punishment. | Strongly agrees | estimated |
| Religious doctrine should take precedence over civil law when they conflict. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Military power should be used proactively when serious external threats are emerging. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Preserving a historic national majority is a legitimate immigration objective. | Disagrees | estimated |
| Reducing the gap between rich and poor should be a major government goal. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Traditional values should guide what society considers right and wrong. | Agrees | estimated |
| Rent controls are a legitimate way to make housing more affordable. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
Closest ideologies
Libertarian Conservatism87% similar positionFiscal Conservatism86% similar positionMinarchism85% similar positionConservative Liberalism85% similar positionRight-Libertarianism85% similar position
Similar and contrasting figures
Ron Paul94% similar · US politiciansThomas Massie93% similar · US politiciansRand Paul93% similar · US politiciansDave Smith92% similar · CommentatorsJohn Locke85% similar · Historical and internationalKim Jong UnContrasting: 32% similarPol PotContrasting: 33% similarJoseph StalinContrasting: 33% similar
Sources
Profile last reviewed October 11, 2026.