Pournelle chart

noun

A chart plotted on two axes — "attitude toward the state" and "attitude toward planned social progress" — used to visualize a person's political philosophy.

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Meanings

nounPournelle chart (plural Pournelle charts)

plural Pournelle charts

  1. A chart plotted on two axes — "attitude toward the state" and "attitude toward planned social progress" — used to visualize a person's political philosophy.

Origin

Developed by American science fiction writer Jerry Pournelle in his 1963 dissertation in political science.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Pournelle chart. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pournelle%20chart

MLA

“Pournelle chart.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pournelle%20chart. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Pournelle chart,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pournelle%20chart.

Source: Pournelle chart on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.