Political Circle
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"Private provision with sensible rules — choice matters, chaos doesn't"
At 2 o'clock, you lean firmly towards markets and private enterprise, but you're no anarchist. You see competitive markets as the default best solution for most problems, but you want simple, clear rules to keep things fair and prevent harm. Government should set standards and step in when there's a clear problem — but otherwise stay out of the way.
You're confident that businesses, entrepreneurs and consumers can figure things out better than bureaucrats, but you're not naive about market failures. You'll support regulation when it prevents genuine harm, but you're suspicious of interference that stifles innovation or protects inefficient incumbents.
Your position at 2 o'clock tells us your direction, but how far you are from the centre tells us the strength of your convictions. The Political Circle recognises three levels:
"Mix and match — use what works, whether public or private"
As a moderate at 2 o'clock, you're the ultimate pragmatist. You lean towards private provision, but you'll use public solutions where they work better. You're neither ideologically pro-market nor anti-state; you're pro-results.
Historical example: Tony Blair — "New Labour" transformed British politics by embracing markets while defending public services.
"Competition drives quality — let private providers compete with clear standards"
You have clear convictions that markets usually deliver better outcomes. You prefer private provision, innovation and consumer choice. The state should be referee, not main player.
Historical example: Emmanuel Macron — positioned as "neither left nor right", championing business, innovation and labour flexibility whilst maintaining smart oversight.
"Markets solve almost everything — keep government minimal"
As a strong 2 o'clock, you're convinced that markets deliver better outcomes than government in almost every domain. You want sweeping privatisation, minimal regulation, and trust competitive pressure to drive quality. Government should be small, focused and restrained.
Historical example: Ronald Reagan — "Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem."
UK Prime Minister (1997–2007)
Blair's "Third Way" combined market mechanisms with public investment. He embraced private provision in public services, welcomed business and entrepreneurship, but maintained standards through regulation and inspection. His pragmatic, pro-enterprise centre-left approach defines modern 2 o'clock politics.
Businessman and New York City Mayor
Bloomberg combined business acumen with technocratic governance. He favoured markets, entrepreneurship and data-driven decision-making, but wasn't afraid to regulate (famously banning large sugary drinks). His approach — let markets work, but fix clear problems — typifies 2 o'clock thinking.
President of France
Macron champions business, innovation and labour market flexibility whilst maintaining social protections. He cut corporate taxes, reformed employment law and embraced globalisation, but within a framework of state oversight. His "neither left nor right" market liberalism with guardrails is classic 2 o'clock.
UK Prime Minister (2010–2016)
Cameron's "modern compassionate conservatism" combined economic liberalism with social modernisation. He supported free schools, NHS reform through competition and business-friendly policies, whilst backing same-sex marriage and environmental standards. His centrist, pragmatic approach embodies 2 o'clock values.
40th US President
Reagan's presidency (1981–1989) embodied strong 2 o'clock convictions: "Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem." He brought massive tax cuts, extensive deregulation and a commitment to free trade, trusting people rather than bureaucrats to let American entrepreneurship flourish.
Nobel Prize-winning economist
Friedman was the most influential free-market economist of the 20th century. His proposals included school vouchers, a negative income tax, monetary rules and an all-volunteer military. His philosophy: markets work if you let them, and most problems that look like market failures are actually government failures.
The new book, 'Beyond Left and Right: Understanding the Political Circle' is now available on Amazon.
Containing a wealth of information, the book explores all of the 12 philosophical positions with detailed analysis on each of the three levels.