Jeff Jarvis wants a way to measure the passion of our political opinions:
Imagine a 0-5 scale like this:
0 - Don't give a damn.
1 - Would defend my view in a conversation
2 - Would start a conversation on the issue to say what I think.
3 - Would write a letter to the editor (or weblog post) on the issue.
4 - Would consider the issue when voting for a candidate.
5 - Would change a vote for a candidate over the issue.
I found this list wanting, if only because I've been trained as an economist. I responded almost automatically that most people express their preferences more accurately with money than do with words.
In the comments I suggested that we add an economic dimension to the passion scale. For instnace, "Would contribute more than 5% of my income to causes representing my view," or much better, "Have contributed more than 5% of my income to causes representing my view."
5% was an arbitrary number I stole from Gordon Tullock; apparently a "fiver" was also an industry standard at one point.
5% seems a bit high - there's nothing I care about that much, especially considering the Feds already take 28% (and uses the money to do a lot of things that "don't represent my view" at that). Maybe I'm a cheapskate, but I'd already have to care at least 4 out of 5 to give more than $20 a year to a political cause.