The seven axes

Seven separate scales, each with two real ends. Read what either end actually asks of the state — in the words its own supporters use.

Welfare
Who should the state support, and how far should that support reach? This axis measures the width of the safety net — from universal entitlement to tight targeting.
Expansive state provisionMinimal/targeted provision
Markets
Should the state steer development, or should competition? This axis measures who you trust with the direction of the economy — ownership, prices, trade and hiring.
State-led developmentMarket-led development
Recognition
How should the state answer inherited disadvantage — by seeing groups, or by refusing to? This axis runs from caste-blind rules to group-based remedy.
Formal equalityGroup remedies
Nation
What holds India together, and who gets to define it? This axis measures what you think the state’s relationship to religion and belonging should be.
PluralistMajoritarian
Authority
How much power may the state take to keep order? This axis runs from hard limits on state power to a free hand for it.
Civil libertiesStrong state
Culture
Where does personal choice end and shared custom begin? This axis measures who should decide how you live — you alone, or family, community and tradition.
Personal autonomyTraditional norms
Federalism
Should Delhi or the states hold the deciding vote? This axis measures where you want power to sit — money, language, agencies and seats.
CentreStates