I haven't figured out how to divide most of the people I know into liberal and conservative categories. I know people that think they are "liberal" and prefer the label, while others want to be seen as "conservative", but most of them are so mixed in their actions and real life ideals that they don't fit well into either category. I'd probably have to ask everyone 100 questions then plot them on a graph.
I'd have to agree with this. The libertarian's two axis graph of defining topics as being economic or social freedom/control can do a whole lot better, but at that pont you realize that there are many potential axis points. For that matter, the topics cross and intertwine. Is making race/sex/religious discrimination illegal a social control, freedom, or would it be economic? After all, while you're increasing the choices of the workers/consumers, you're decreasing the choices/freedom of the companies.
You could plot somebody on their abortion/antiabortion stance alone. Everywhere from absolute pro-life, such as birth control is banned and all medical means are taken to continue pregnancy, even to danger of mother's life, to a pro-abortion stance where it's mandatory to abort fetuses with detected problems, or where the mother's considered unfit. Before anybody takes issue with this, I've deliberatly adjusted both sides to be offensive to pretty much everyone. I'm willing to bet that you'd end up the the classical curve with this, though figuring out where to draw the line would be tough, pretty much everybody would be unhappy(though the pro-lifers would be happier). Back on the libertarian graph, I've seen people rate pro-life as pro freedom(freedom of the baby to live), and pro-control (forcing the mother to be life support).
I've rated my thoughts on a number of issues and generally take the 'don't tread on me' attitude. I try to figure out the lightest controls that will have the wanted results. For example, pollution controls. Figure out what emissions are bad, then charge the emitters a fee based on the amount they emit. Gradually jack it up. Without grandfathering, it'll place an economic incentive to be as clean as possible. While some would say that this is business control, it also comes under personal freedom, as pollution is injurious to everyone.