Vote Compass launches U.S. election tool with Wall Street Journal

You may know whether you prefer Barack Obama's policies or Mitt Romney's way of thinking, but what about the ideas of Johnson, Goode or Stein?. Vote Compass has launched an American edition of its popular online voter engagement tool, in partnership with the Wall Street Journal , to promote discussion about the issues in the upcoming presidential election. (Johnson, Goode and Stein are the lesser known candidates for the Libertarian, Constitution and Green parties, respectively.) "Vote Compass helps people get a fundamental sense of where they fall on the political spectrum and of the big issues in the election," says Peter Loewen, an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto Mississauga and director of operations for Vote Compass. "It's an effective, neutral and non-confrontational way to start a conversation about politics and provide context to an ever-changing political environment." Vote Compass leads people through 30 questions based on hot-button issues, personal values and public policy. For the American edition, sections include taxation, government spending, law and order and the environment. When complete, the tool provides a comparison of the user's political opinions with those of each presidential candidate. An easy-to-understand grid demonstrates the space the user, and the candidates, occupy in the political landscape.