New Left Scale
Christie et al. 1969
1. “The Establishment” unfairly controls every aspect of our lives; we can never be free until we are rid of it.
2. You can never achieve freedom within the framework of contemporary American society.
3. The United States needs a complete restructuring of its basic institutions.
4. A mass revolutionary party should be created.
5. Authorities must be put in an intolerable position so they will be forced to respond with repression and thus show their illegitimacy.
6. The solutions for contemporary problems lie in striking at their roots‚ no matter how much destruction might occur.
7. Disruption is preferable to dialogue for changing our society.
8. Even though institutions have worked well in the past‚ they must be destroyed if they are not effective now.
9. The structure of our society is such that self- alienation is inevitable.
10.Sexual behavior should be bound by mutual feelings‚ not by formal and legal ties.
11.A problem with most older people is that they have learned to accept society as it is‚ not as it should be.
12.The bureaucracy of American society makes it impossible to live and work spontaneously.
13.Radicals of the left are as much a threat to the rights of the individual as are the radicals of the right.
14.While man has great potential for good‚ society brings out primarily the worst in him.
15.The processes of rebuilding society are of less immediate importance than the processes of destroying it.
16.The political structure of the Soviet union is more like that of the United States than that of Red China.
17.The streets are a more appropriate medium for change in our society than printing presses.
18.Competition encourages excellence.
19.Marriage unfairly restricts one’s personal freedom.
20.The right to private property is sacred.
21.No one should be punished for violating a law which he feels is immoral.
22 . The courts are a useful vehicle for responsible change.
22.There are legitimate channels for reform which must be exhausted before attempting disruption.
23.You learn more from ten minutes in a political protest than ten hours of research in a library.
24.Although our society has to be changed‚ violence is not a justified means.
25.Society needs some legally based authority in order to prevent chaos.
26.Representative democracy can respond effectively to the needs of the people.
27.Police should not hesitate to use force to maintain order.
28.Real participatory democracy should be the basis for a new society.
29.If people worked hard at their jobs‚ they would reap the full benefits of our society.
30.Groups with a formal structure tend to stifle creativity among their members.
31.A social scientist should not separate his political responsibilities from his professional role.
32.People should not do research which can be used in ways which are contrary to the social good.
33.Abrupt reforms in society usually lead to such a severe backlash that they will be self-defeating.
34.Traditions serve a useful social function by providing stability and continuity.
35.The very existence of our long-standing social norms demonstrates their value.
36.If the structure of our society becomes non-repressive‚ people will be happy.
37.The distinction between public and private life is unnecessary.
38.Compromise is essential for progress.
39.Extensive reform in society only serves to perpetuate the evils; it will never solve problems.
40.Voting must be a pragmatic rather than moral decision.
41.Anyone who violates the law for reasons of conscience should be willing to accept the legal consequences.
42.It is possible to modify our institutions so that the blacks can be incorporated on an equal basis in to our contemporary society.
43.Although men are intrinsically good‚ they have developed institution s which force them to act in opposition to their basic nature.
44.Educational institution s should espouse political doctrines.
45.Change in our society should be based primarily on popular elections.
46.A minority must never be allowed to impose its will on the majority.
47.Spontaneity is often an excuse for irresponsibility.
48.An Individual can find his true identity only by detaching himself from formal ideologies.
49.Being put in positions of leadership brings out the best in men.
50.Political factions cannot cooperate with each other without sacrificing their integrity.
51.It is more important that people be involved in the present rather than concerned with the past or the future.
52.A commitment to action is more social l y relevant than a commitment to any specific philosophy.
53.Commitment to a meaningful career is a very important part of a man’s life.
54.One’s personal life can be kept separate from one’s political life.
55.A group without a clear-cut pattern of leadership cannot function effectively.
56.Freedom of expression should be denied to racist and neo-fascistic movements.
57.Provocation of the police should only be a by-product‚ not a goal‚ of mass action.
58.A liberal society is more conducive to revolutionary change than is a fascistic one.
59.We must strive for the democratization of decision making bodies within the existing government.
60.The only way to combat violence is to use violent means.
61.You should always be candid with your friends even though you may hurt their feelings.
1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree)
This instrument can be found at: https://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/dis/infoserv/isrpub/pdf/Measuresofsocialpsychologicalattitudes_2928_.PDF
Christie‚ R.; Friedman‚ L.; and Ross‚ A. The New Left and its ideology. Unpublished paper‚ Department of Social Psychology‚ Columbia University.
Christie‚ R.‚ Friedman‚ L. N.‚ & Ross‚ A. (1969). The New Left and its ideology: An exploratory study. Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association‚ 4(Pt. 1)‚ 293-294.
Robinson‚ John P.‚ Shaver‚ Phillip R. (1969). Measures of Political Attitudes. Institute for Social Research‚ University of Michigan/. Ann Arbor‚ Michigan