Libertarian Party
Party Chairman	Bill Redpath
Senate Leader	None
House Leader	None
Founded	December 11, 1971
Headquarters
Political ideology	Libertarianism Laissez-faire Non-interventionism
Political position	Fiscal: Right Social: Left
International affiliation	None
Color(s)
Website	Libertarian Party

The Libertarian Party is a United States political party founded on December 11, 1971. Bill Redpath is the chairman of the United States Libertarian Party, first elected by delegates to the 2006 Libertarian National Convention in Portland Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Libertarianism is a term used by a broad spectrum of political philosophies which prioritize individual Liberty and seek to minimize or even abolish the Laissez-faire ( pronunciation: French,; English,) is a French phrase literally meaning Let do (“allow to do” Nonintervention or non-interventionism is a foreign policy which holds that political rulers should avoid alliances with other nations and avoid all wars not related to direct This article presents the main political parties in United States politics. Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ^[1] It is one of the largest continuing Third parties in the United States, claiming more than 200,000 registered voters and more than 600 people in public office,^[2] including mayors, county executives, county-council members, school-board members and other local officials. See also Third party (United States presidential candidates 2008 The term third party is used in the United States for a political party other than one A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government It has more people in office than all other third parties combined. ^[2]

The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects that group's particular brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration across borders, and non-interventionism in foreign policy that respects freedom of trade and travel to all foreign countries. A party platform, also known as a Manifesto, is a list of the principles which a Political party supports in order to appeal to the general public for the purpose Libertarianism is a term used by a broad spectrum of political philosophies which prioritize individual Liberty and seek to minimize or even abolish the Laissez-faire ( pronunciation: French,; English,) is a French phrase literally meaning Let do (“allow to do” thumb| |Broken Liberty Istanbul Archaeology Museum Civil liberties are freedoms that protect the Individual from the Government. Free migration or open immigration is the position that people should be able to migrate to whatever country they choose free of substantial barriers Nonintervention or non-interventionism is a foreign policy which holds that political rulers should avoid alliances with other nations and avoid all wars not related to direct Free trade is a system in which the trade of goods and services between or within countries flows unhindered by government-imposed restrictions

Part of the series on Libertarianism

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Platform

Key tenets of the Libertarian Party platform include the following^[3]:

• Adoption of laissez-faire principles which would reduce the state's role in the economy. This would include, among other things, markedly reduced taxation, privatization of Social Security and welfare (for individuals, as well as elimination of "corporate welfare"), markedly reduced regulation of business, rollbacks of labor regulations, and reduction of government interference in foreign trade. Social Security, in the United States currently refers to the federal Old-Age Survivors and Disability Insurance ( OASDI) program Welfare is financial assistance paid to people by governments Corporate welfare is a term describing a government's bestowal of money grants tax breaks, or other special favorable treatment on Corporations or select corporations International trade is exchange of Capital, Goods, and Services across International borders or Territories.
• Protection of property rights. Property is any physical or virtual entity that is owned by an individual
• Opposition to all civil rights laws that regulate the private sector.
• Minimal government bureaucracy. The Libertarian Party states that the government's responsibilities should be limited to the protection of individual rights from the initiation of force and fraud.
• Strong civil liberties positions, including privacy protection, freedom of speech, freedom of association, and sexual freedom. thumb| |Broken Liberty Istanbul Archaeology Museum Civil liberties are freedoms that protect the Individual from the Government. Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without Censorship or Limitation. Freedom of association is the Individual right to come together with other individuals and collectively express promote pursue and defend common interests A sexual norm can refer to a Personal or a social norm Most cultures have social norms regarding sexuality, and define normal sexuality
• No government interference in reproductive rights, including access to abortion. An (Right-libertarians and Libertarians for Life usually do not support abortion, but they believe that the federal government has no say in regulating the procedure). Right-libertarianism or right libertarianism is a phrase used to either describe non- Collectivist forms of Libertarianism or a variety of different libertarian Libertarians For Life is a non-sectarian group expressing an opposition to Abortion within the context of Libertarianism.
• Support for the unrestricted right to the means of self-defense (such as gun rights, the right to carry mace or pepper spray, etc). The right to keep and bear arms, RKBA, or right to bear arms is the concept that people individually or collectively have a right to Weapons Today this Mace is a Tear gas in the form of an Aerosol spray which propels a Lachrymatory agent mixed with a volatile solvent Pepper spray (also known as OC spray (from " Oleoresin Capsicum " OC gas, capsicum spray, or oleoresin capsicum
• Abolition of laws against "victimless crimes" (such as prostitution, driving without a seatbelt, use of controlled substances, fraternization, etc. The term victimless crime refers to infractions of Criminal law without any identifiable Corpus delicti, or evidence of an Individual that Prostitution is the act of performing Sexual activity in exchange for Money. Seat belt legislation is a Law or laws put in place to enforce or require the fitting of Seat belts to motor vehicles or the wearing of seat belts by motor vehicle The prohibition of drugs through sumptuary Legislation or Religious law is a common means of attempting to control Drug use and the Fraternization is "turning people into brothers" - conducting social relations with people who are actually unrelated and/or of a different class (especially those with whom one ).
• Opposition to regulations on how businesses should run themselves (e. g. , smoking)
• A foreign policy of free trade and non-interventionism. Free trade is a system in which the trade of goods and services between or within countries flows unhindered by government-imposed restrictions Nonintervention or non-interventionism is a foreign policy which holds that political rulers should avoid alliances with other nations and avoid all wars not related to direct
• Support for a fiscally responsible government including a hard currency (commodity-based money supply as opposed to fiat currency). Hard currency or strong currency, in Economics refers to a globally traded Currency that can serve as a reliable and stable Store of value. The terms fiat currency and fiat money relate to types of currency or Money whose usefulness results not from any intrinsic value or guarantee that it can be
• Abolition of all forms of taxpayer-funded assistance (welfare, food stamps, public housing, etc. Welfare is financial assistance paid to people by governments The US Food Stamp Program is a Federal assistance program that provides food to low and no income people living in the United States. Public housing is a form of Housing tenure in which the property is owned by a Government authority which may be central or local )

Libertarians state that their platform follows from the consistent application of their guiding principle: "mutual respect for rights. " They are therefore deeply supportive of the concept of individual liberty as a precondition for moral and stable societies. Liberty, the freedom to act or believe without being stopped by unnecessary force In their "Statement of Principles," they declare: "We hold that all individuals have the right to exercise sole dominion over their own lives, and have the right to live in whatever manner they choose, so long as they do not forcibly interfere with the equal right of others to live in whatever manner they choose. " To this end, Libertarians want to reduce the size of government (eliminating many of its current functions entirely).

Libertarians reject the view of politics as a one-dimensional spectrum, divided between Democrats representing the Left or Center-left and Republicans representing the Right or Center-right. Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. The centre-left (or center-left) is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals political parties or organizations (such as Think In Politics, right-wing, the political right, and the Right are positions that uphold traditional values and/or authorities The centre-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals political parties or organizations (such as Think tanks whose views

The Nolan chart, with the traditional left-right political spectrum on the dashed diagonal

To illustrate their view that the one-dimensional view of politics is insufficient to describe the myriad political philosophies held by the public, Libertarians introduced the Nolan chart to communicate their belief that politics is at least two-dimensional. The Nolan Chart is a political diagram popularized by the American libertarian David Nolan. The Nolan Chart is a political diagram popularized by the American libertarian David Nolan. A variation of the Nolan chart is enhanced (via a link from the main website) by a ten-question poll (five questions dealing with economic-freedom issues and five questions dealing with personal-freedom issues), which it bills as "The World's Smallest Political Quiz," allowing respondents to classify their political leanings. The World's Smallest Political Quiz is a 10-question quiz designed as an outreach and educational tool by the Libertarian Advocates for Self-Government, created

Among outside political watchers, some consider Libertarians to be conservative (primarily because of their support of the right to bear arms and because of their views on taxes and states' rights); while others consider them liberal because of their advocacy of a non-interventionist foreign policy, the repeal of drug prohibition, and the elimination of laws that interfere with private consensual acts (such as prostitution and gambling). The Second Amendment (Amendment II to the United States Constitution is a part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the pre-existing Libertarians consider themselves neither conservative nor liberal; rather, they believe they represent a unique philosophy that is all their own.

The party advocates limiting the government as much as possible within the confines of the United States Constitution. The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States. As in any political party, there is some internal debate about the platform, and not all of the party's supporters advocate its complete or immediate implementation, but most think that the United States would benefit from most of its proposed changes. .

Current structure and composition

Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties

Leadership

The members, when gathered at the bi-annual Libertarian National Convention, are the ultimate authority within the Libertarian Party. Politics of the United States takes place in the framework of a presidential, Federal republic where the President of the United States (the Head of

A 17-member National Committee^[4] (currently chaired by William Redpath) is responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations of the national Libertarian Party and its headquarters, in representative style. Bill Redpath is the chairman of the United States Libertarian Party, first elected by delegates to the 2006 Libertarian National Convention in Portland

Robert Kraus is currently the acting Executive Director and Operations Director.

The Libertarian National Congressional Committee (LNCC) assists party candidates in state-level races; its current chairman is M. Past officers and directors Ben Brandon Marc Montoni, database manager Chuck Moulton, webmaster Bill Redpath, treasurer Carling of California.

State chapters

Each state also has a state committee, usually consisting of statewide officers and regional representation of one kind or another. Similarly, county, town, city and ward committees, where organized, generally consist of party members elected at the local level. State and local committees often coordinate campaign activities within their jurisdiction, oversee local conventions and in some cases primaries or caucuses, and may have a role in nominating candidates for elected office under state law.

Membership

Since its inception, individuals have been able to join the Libertarian Party by simply signing their agreement with the organization's membership pledge, which states that the signer does not advocate the initiation of force to achieve political or social goals. During the mid eighties into the early nineties, this membership category was called an "instant" membership; currently these are referred to as "signature members".

Individuals may remit annual dues to obtain additional benefits, such as a subscription to the party's monthly newspaper, LPNews, or to have a vote at party conventions.

In the late nineties, the LNC began sharing annual national dues with the state parties, under a program called the "Unified Membership Program" or UMP. ^[5] However, this program was terminated in 2006 due to funding shortfalls at the national level, and the inability of many state parties to fund a staffer or find a volunteer to prepare the required bookkeeping to account for it. ^[6]

Interestingly, at about the same time the Libertarian Party was about to abandon UMP, the Democratic National Committee adopted the idea and in 2005 DNC Chairman Dean began a program called 50 State Strategy that uses DNC national funds to assist all state parties and pay for full time professional staffers. The Democratic National Committee (DNC is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis ^[7] Some Democratic activists have suggested that the DNC program has contributed significantly to the turnaround in Democratic fortunes in state, local, and national elections since 2005.

Current events

2007 Elections

In the 2007 Elections, Libertarian Party candidates won 14 elective offices, including an election for mayor of Avis, Pennsylvania. Avis is a borough in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, United States. ^[8]

2008 Presidential nominating process

Several candidates were seeking to become the party's 2008 presidential nominee. The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday November 4 2008 will be the 56th consecutive Ron Paul, who was the party's 1988 nominee, had been mentioned as a possible nominee as well, but has officially denied any intent to run under any third-party banner. On December 12, 2007, the Party adopted a resolution requesting Paul to run on the Libertarian ticket if he did not win the Republican Party nomination. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[9] On March 25, 2008, Mike Gravel changed from the Democratic Party to the Libertarian Party. Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Maurice Robert "Mike" Gravel (grəˈvɛl (born May 13 1930 is a former Democratic United States Senator from Alaska, who served two terms from The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. On May 12, 2008, ten days before the 2008 Libertarian National Convention, Bob Barr, a former Republican U. Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The 2008 Libertarian National Convention was held from May 22 to May 26 2008 at the Sheraton Hotel (formerly the Adam's Mark Hotel in Denver Colorado Robert Laurence "Bob" Barr Jr (born S. Congressman, announced that he would seek the nomination. ^[10]

At the time of the 2008 Libertarian National Convention there were eight candidates for consideration at the convention, in alphabetical order: Bob Barr, Mike Gravel, Mike Jingozian, Steve Kubby, George Phillies, Wayne Allyn Root, Mary Ruwart, and Christine Smith. The 2008 Libertarian National Convention was held from May 22 to May 26 2008 at the Sheraton Hotel (formerly the Adam's Mark Hotel in Denver Colorado Robert Laurence "Bob" Barr Jr (born Maurice Robert "Mike" Gravel (grəˈvɛl (born May 13 1930 is a former Democratic United States Senator from Alaska, who served two terms from Steven "Steve" Wynn Kubby (born December 28 1946) is a Libertarian Party activist who played a key role in the drafting and passage of California George Phillies Ph D (born 23 July 1947) is a Libertarian Party activist and professor of Physics at Worcester Polytechnic Wayne Allyn Root (born July 20, 1961) is the 2008 United States Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee Mary J Ruwart Ph D (born October 16 1949 is a Libertarian speaker writer activist and was a leading candidate for the 2008 Libertarian Party presidential On May 25, after six ballots, the Libertarian Party chose Bob Barr as their official candidate for president, and chose Wayne Allyn Root as his running mate. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Wayne Allyn Root (born July 20, 1961) is the 2008 United States Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee

History

The Libertarian Party was formed in Colorado Springs in the home of David Nolan on December 11, 1971, after several months of debate among members of the Committee to Form a Libertarian Party, founded July 17. Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. The Committee to Form a Libertarian Party was the precursor to the modern United States Libertarian Party. Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians ^[11] This group included John Hospers, Edward Crane, Manuel Klausner, Murray Rothbard, R.A. Childs, Theodora (Tonie) Nathan, and Jim Dean. John Hospers (born 9 June 1918) is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern California. Edward H Crane is the founder and president of the Cato Institute. Murray Newton Rothbard (March 2 1926 – January 7 1995 was an American economist of the Austrian School who helped define modern Libertarianism Roy A Childs Jr ( April 1, 1949 - May 1992 was an American libertarian essayist and critic Theodora Nathalia "Tonie" Nathan (born 9 February 1923) is the first woman to have received an electoral vote in a United States presidential Jimmy Dean (b Jimmy Ray Dean August 10, 1928, in Plainview Texas) is an American Country music Singer Prompted in part by price controls and the end of the Gold Standard implemented by President Richard Nixon, the Libertarian Party viewed the dominant Republican and Democratic parties as having diverged from what they viewed as the libertarian principles of the American Founding Fathers. The gold standard is a monetary system in which a region's common media of exchange are paper notes that are normally freely convertible into pre-set fixed quantities of Gold The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Libertarianism is a term used by a broad spectrum of political philosophies which prioritize individual Liberty and seek to minimize or even abolish the Founding Fathers are persons instrumental in the establishment of an Institution, usually a political institution especially those connected to the origination of its Ideals

A press conference announcing the new party was held on January 31 at the party's headquarters in Westminster, Colorado. The first national convention, attracting 89 delegates from 23 states, was held in June in Denver, Colorado. According to Ron Crickenberger, former Political Director of the LP, a search of LP records showed that the LP had elected Miguel Gilson-De Lemos in a partisan local board race in New York even before the adoption of its first platform. Several others were also elected or appointed that year. LP leaders initially doubted they would even see 6 people elected or appointed by 2001, so this led to early optimism among some. However, in subsequent years the number of people in office seemed to be about 1% of its donor base: approximately 30 officeholders with 3,000 donors in 1981; 100 in office and 10,000 donors in 1991; and 600 and 60,000 in 2001.

By the 1972 presidential election, the party had grown to over 80 members and had attained ballot access in two states. The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday November 4 2008 will be the 56th consecutive Robert Laurence "Bob" Barr Jr (born Wayne Allyn Root (born July 20, 1961) is the 2008 United States Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee The United States presidential election of 1972 was waged on the issues of radicalism and the Vietnam War. Ballot access rules called nomination rules outside the US, regulate the conditions under which a candidate or Political party is either entitled to stand for election Their presidential ticket, John Hospers and Theodora Nathan, earned fewer than 3,000 votes, but received the first and only electoral college vote for a Libertarian presidential ticket, from Roger MacBride of Virginia, who was pledged to Richard Nixon. John Hospers (born 9 June 1918) is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern California. Theodora Nathalia "Tonie" Nathan (born 9 February 1923) is the first woman to have received an electoral vote in a United States presidential An electoral college is a set of many electors who are empowered to elect a candidate to a particular Office. Roger Lea MacBride ( 6 August 1929 - 5 March 1995) was a US lawyer Political figure, and Television producer The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state His was also the first vote ever cast for a woman in the United States Electoral College. The Electoral College consists of 538 popularly elected representatives who formally select the President and Vice President of the United States. MacBride became the party's presidential nominee in the 1976 Presidential Election. The United States presidential election of 1976 followed the resignation of President Richard M

In 1978 Dick Randolph became the first Libertarian to win state-level office with his election to the Alaska House of Representatives. The Alaska House of Representatives is the Lower house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the U

In the 1980 presidential contest, the Libertarian Party gained ballot access in all 50 states, the District of Columbia (DC), and Guam, the first time a third party accomplished this since the Socialist Party in 1916. The United States presidential election of 1980 featured a contest between incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter and his Republican opponent Ronald Reagan Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Guam ( Chamorro: cha Guåhån) officially the Territory of Guam, is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized unincorporated See also Third party (United States presidential candidates 2008 The term third party is used in the United States for a political party other than one The Socialist Party of America (SPA was a socialist Political party in the United States. The ticket of Ed Clark and David H. Koch spent several million dollars on this political campaign and earned more than one percent of the popular vote, the most successful Libertarian presidential campaign to date. This article concerns the Libertarian presidential candidate For information on other people of the same name see Edward Clark. David Hamilton Koch ( born March 5 1940 is an American Billionaire businessman A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group An election is a Decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold formal office

On December 29, 1981, the first widely reported successful election in the continental United States of a Libertarian Party candidate in a partisan race occurred as Richard P. Siano, a Boeing 707 pilot for Trans World Airlines, running against both a Republican and a Democrat, was elected to the office of Kingwood Township Committeeman in western Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Events 1170 - Thomas Becket: Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury is assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Richard P Siano was the first member of the United States Libertarian Party to win a partisan race in the continental United States WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Trans World Airlines ( TWA) renamed TWA Airlines LLC in 2001 was a major U Kingwood Township is a Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. Hunterdon County is a County located in the US state of New Jersey. New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. His election resulted from the special election held on December 29, 1981 to break a tie vote in the general election between him and the Democratic candidate. He received 63% of the votes cast in the special election. He served a three-year term of office.

In 1983, the party was divided by internal disputes; former party leaders Edward Crane and David Koch left, taking a number of their supporters with them. Edward H Crane is the founder and president of the Cato Institute. David Hamilton Koch ( born March 5 1940 is an American Billionaire businessman In 1984, the party's presidential nominee, David Bergland, gained access to the ballot in 36 states and earned one-quarter of one percent of the popular vote. David P Bergland received the United States Libertarian Party 's nomination for the 1984 presidential election. In 1987, Doug Anderson became the first Libertarian elected to office in a major city, elected to the Denver Election Commission (later, in 2005, Anderson was elected to the Lakewood, Colorado city council). ^[12]

In 1988, former Republican Congressman Ron Paul won the Libertarian nomination for president and was on the ballot in 46 states. Paul later successfully ran for United States House of Representatives from Texas, once again as a Republican, an office in which he still serves. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. In 1992, Andre Marrou, a Libertarian elected to the Alaska state legislature and Ron Paul's running mate in 1988, led the ticket, with attorney Nancy Lord as his Vice Presidential (VP) running mate. Andre Verne Marrou (born December 4 1938) is an American political figure affiliated with the Libertarian Party. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent In the United States of America, a state legislature is a generic term referring to the legislative body of any of the country's 50 states. A running mate is a Person running for a Subordinate position on a joint ticket during an Election. A ticket refers to a single Election choice which fills more than one Political office or seat Nancy Lord was the vice-presidential candidate of the Libertarian Party in the U __FORCETOC__ For the Vice President of the United States, their roles and other information see Vice President of the United States. For the first time since the Clark campaign in 1980, the Libertarian Party made the ballot in all 50 states, DC, and Guam. This article concerns the Libertarian presidential candidate For information on other people of the same name see Edward Clark. In 1994, radio personality Howard Stern embarked on a political campaign for Governor of New York, formally announcing his candidacy under the Libertarian Party ticket. Howard Allan Stern (born January 12 1954 is an American radio host and Television personality. The Governor of New York is the head of the Executive branch of New York 's government and the Commander-in-chief of the state's military Although he legally qualified for the office and campaigned for a time after his nomination, many viewed the run for office as nothing more than a publicity stunt. A publicity stunt is an event designed to attract the public 's attention to the promoters or their causes He subsequently withdrew his candidacy because he did not want to comply with the financial disclosure requirements for candidates.

Investment adviser Harry Browne headed the 1996 and 2000 presidential tickets. An investment advisor (or investment adviser is an individual or firm that advises clients on investment matters on a professional basis Harry Browne ( 17 June 1933 – 1 March 2006) was an American libertarian Writer, Politician, The VP candidate in 1996 was South Carolina entrepreneur Jo Jorgensen; in 2000, Art Olivier of California was Browne's running mate. South Carolina ( is a state in the southern region ( Deep South) of the United States of America. An entrepreneur is a person who has possession over a company enterprise, or Venture, and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome Jo Jorgensen was the Libertarian Party candidate for Vice-president in the 1996 U Arthur C “Art” Olivier, former mayor of Bellflower California, was the Libertarian candidate for Vice President in the United States presidential California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. In 1996 the Party again made the ballot in all 50 states, DC and Guam. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Guam ( Chamorro: cha Guåhån) officially the Territory of Guam, is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized unincorporated The party's presidential ticket made the ballot in 49 states, DC and Guam in 2000.

In all of these cases, the party's presidential nominee drew in between one third and one half of one percent of the popular vote. In 2000, the Arizona Libertarian Party, which had been disaffiliated from the national organization in late 1999, but which controlled the Libertarian ballot line in that state, nominated science fiction author L. Neil Smith and newspaperman Vin Suprynowicz, rather than Browne and Olivier, as its presidential slate. The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. L Neil Smith (full name Lester Neil Smith III) also known to readers and fans as El Neil, is a Libertarian Science fiction Author Vin Suprynowicz is a US Libertarian Columnist who writes editorials for the Las Vegas, Nevada based Las Vegas Review-Journal Smith and Suprynowicz polled 5,775 votes (0. 38%) in Arizona.

In the 2004 election cycle, the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination race was the closest to date. Three candidates -- gun-rights activist and software engineer Michael Badnarik, talk radio host Gary Nolan, and Hollywood producer Aaron Russo -- came within two percent of each other on the first two ballots at the 2004 national convention in Atlanta. Michael J Badnarik (born August 1, 1954) is an American software engineer, political figure and Radio talk show host Gary Nolan (born 1954 in Cleveland Ohio) is a Talk radio host and a former candidate for the Libertarian Party nomination for President of the United Aaron Russo (February 14 1943 &ndash August 24 2007 was an American entertainment businessman film maker, and political activist The Libertarian National Convention is held every two years by the United States Libertarian Party to choose members of the Libertarian National Committee and to conduct other Badnarik was chosen as the party's presidential nominee on the third ballot after Nolan was eliminated, a comeback many saw as surprising, as Badnarik had not been viewed as a frontrunner for the nomination — many delegates were won over during the convention itself, due to Badnarik's perceived strong performance in a formal candidate debate.

The Badnarik campaign secured ballot status in 48 states (plus DC and Guam) and earned 397,265 votes. Despite less name recognition and a much smaller campaign checkbook, Badnarik polled nearly as well as independent candidate Ralph Nader. Ralph Nader (born February 27 1934 is an American Attorney, Author, Lecturer, political activist, and independent candidate for President The Libertarian party also garnered more votes than the Green Party that year. His running mate was Richard Campagna who secured the vice presidential nod at the party's Atlanta convention with a landslide victory.

Symbols and name

In 1972, "Libertarian Party" is chosen as the party's name, narrowly beating out "New Liberty Party. "^[13]

Also in 1972, the "Libersign"—an arrow angling upward through the acronym "TANSTAAFL"—is selected as the party's emblem. TANSTAAFL is an acronym for the adage " There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch " popularized by Science fiction Writer Robert A ^[14] Some time after, this was replaced with the Lady Liberty, which has, ever since, served as the party's symbol or mascot. Goddesses named for and representing the concept Liberty have existed in many cultures including classical examples dating from the Roman Empire and some national symbols such

For many years, there has been a small movement to adopt "LP" the Liberty Penguin as the official mascot. The Libertarian parties of Tennessee, North Carolina, Utah, Hawaii, Delaware and Iowa have all adopted "LP" as their mascot. ^[15]

The first official slogan of the Libertarian Party was "There Ain't No Such Thing as a Free Lunch" (often seen as "TANSTAAFL" for short). TANSTAAFL is an acronym for the adage " There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch " popularized by Science fiction Writer Robert A The current slogan of the party is "The Party of Principle".

Relationship to major parties

At the local level, the Libertarian Party often joins, and sometimes leads, trans-partisan and non-partisan issues coalitions. It emphasizes, in the words of its co-founder, David Nolan, "consensus and coalition building" on issues important to its members. It also engages in lobbying at the state, local and national levels. The Libertarian International Organization estimates that Libertarians around the country are involved in more than 500 initiatives a year.

The Libertarian Party has substantial points of disagreement with both the Democratic and the Republican parties. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. However, the party has historically had more influence on and closer ties with the Republican Party. For example, former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich claimed to be influenced by Libertarian principles, and was praised by many Libertarians for attempting to shrink government. The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives is the presiding officer&mdashor speaker &mdashof the United States House of Representatives. Newton "Newt" Leroy Gingrich, (born Newton Leroy McPherson on June 17, 1943) is an American politician and author who served as the Speaker Analysts within the American right have used the language and social critiques of Libertarians with regard to market deregulation (for example, the frequent citing of studies by the Cato Institute). The Cato Institute is a Libertarian Think tank headquartered in Washington D The 1988 Libertarian Party Presidential candidate Ron Paul serves as a Republican Congressman from Texas, and is also a member of the Republican Liberty Caucus, a group of libertarian-minded members of that party. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. The Republican Liberty Caucus is a political action organization dedicated to promoting the ideals of individual rights limited government and free enterprise within the Republican On the other hand, there is strong Libertarian influence on some Democrats, too; the Democratic Freedom Caucus is a group of libertarian-minded members of the Democratic Party. It could be said that libertarianism is more "liberal" on social beliefs and more "conservative" on economic beliefs. Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined

Libertarian candidates have occasionally thrown their support behind Republican contenders. In a 2002 South Dakota election for Senate, for example, Libertarian candidate Kurt Evans suspended his campaign three weeks before Election Day and urged voters to support Republican candidate John R. Thune. South Dakota ( is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America. John Randolph Thune (born January 7, 1961) is the Republican junior U The Libertarian Party supported Republican efforts to impeach Bill Clinton, although for different reasons (citing several actions they deemed to be unconstitutional). William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States In 1992, after incumbent Georgia Senator Wyche Fowler won a plurality but failed to achieve 50% and was forced into a runoff, the Libertarian candidate publicly threw his support to Paul D. William Wyche Fowler Jr (born October 6, 1940) is an American politician and ambassador Coverdell, who then won the election.

On the other hand, the Libertarian Party has also worked towards defeating some prominent Republicans, such as Bob Barr. Robert Laurence "Bob" Barr Jr (born Interestingly, Barr subsequently spoke at numerous Libertarian Party functions, expressed agreement with many of the party's positions, and, perhaps ironically, in late 2006 became a Life Member of the LP^[16], joined the Libertarian National Committee, and became the party's nominee for President of the United States in 2008. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by

Libertarians oppose Republicans on various issues of civil liberties, and government spending and national debt. Government debt (also known as public debt or national debt) is Money (or credit) owed by any level of government either Central government For example, the Libertarian Party has sharply attacked the USA PATRIOT Act for its potential for infringement of civil rights. The USA PATRIOT Act, commonly known as the Patriot Act, is a controversial Act of Congress that U The party has also made the repeal of drug prohibition laws one of its priorities, a position that puts it at odds with the "mainstream" of both the Democratic and Republican Parties. The War on Drugs is a prohibition campaign undertaken by the United States government with the assistance of participating countries intended to reduce the Illegal

Ronald Reagan said in a 1975 interview that the core of conservatism in the United States was in fact libertarianism, and since the Republican Party generally follows a conservative stance, this also implies a stronger link between the two parties. Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined Libertarianism is a term used by a broad spectrum of political philosophies which prioritize individual Liberty and seek to minimize or even abolish the David Stockman, Reagan's OMB director, also expressed his firm belief in libertarian values when creating the economic reform.

Despite this, former Libertarian candidate Harry Browne noted that he drew approximately an equal number of Democrats and Republicans to his campaign. Harry Browne ( 17 June 1933 – 1 March 2006) was an American libertarian Writer, Politician, 2004 candidate Michael Badnarik made a similar claim. Michael J Badnarik (born August 1, 1954) is an American software engineer, political figure and Radio talk show host Surveys by Libertarian Citizen, an activist education group, in 2002 showed Libertarians drew equally from the left, right, and independents—with more than 30% saying they would not have voted at all in the absence of a Libertarian candidate.

Media such as the St. Petersburg Times have speculated that even one Libertarian could affect public bodies to look at different ideas. The St Petersburg Times is a daily Newspaper based in St Petersburg Florida, that serves the larger Tampa Bay area They are often strong in local appointed office, and sometimes lead the boards to which they belong. In 2005, local Florida Democrats joined a coalition with Libertarians that, after a voter forum, is calling for a reduction in ballot access restrictions.

Size and influence

Defining measures

The Libertarian Party claims to be the largest third party in the United States -- a nation which is overwhelmingly dominated by two major parties that typically capture more than 95% of the vote in partisan elections. In a Two-party system of politics the term third party is sometimes applied to a party other than the two dominant ones Their claim is disputed by some, especially other third parties such as the Green Party. One of the Political parties in the United States, and similar in mission to many of the worldwide Green Parties, the Greens have been active as a third party There is no single objective, agreed-upon standard to compare the size of third parties, so what is presented here is a review of various measures cited in the media.

November 2006 elections

The November 7, 2006 elections might provide one reasonable measure of minor-party strength. Events 1492 - The Ensisheim Meteorite the oldest Meteorite with a known date of impact strikes the Earth around noon in a Wheat Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. In that election, the median vote percentage for Libertarians who ran for US House (excluding races with only one major party nominee) was 2. 04%; while the median percentage for Greens who ran for that office (again excluding races with only one major party nominee) was 1. 41%. ^[17] Over 13,400,000 votes were cast for Libertarian Party candidates in 2006. ^[18]

Presidential candidate performance

Libertarians point to the performance of their presidential candidates, who have often finished above most other permanently-organized third parties. In the 2004 election, Libertarian Michael Badnarik received more votes (397,265^[19]) than all non-major party candidates except for Ralph Nader, who ran as an independent but accepted the endorsement and ballot lines of the nearly defunct Reform Party; received more votes than all the other third party candidates combined, more than twice as many as the Constitution Party candidate (Michael Peroutka 143,630 votes) and three times as many as Green Party candidate (David Cobb 119,859 votes). Michael J Badnarik (born August 1, 1954) is an American software engineer, political figure and Radio talk show host Ralph Nader (born February 27 1934 is an American Attorney, Author, Lecturer, political activist, and independent candidate for President The Reform Party of the United States of America (abbreviated Reform Party USA or RPUSA, generally known simply as the Reform Party) is a Political The Constitution Party is a Conservative United States political party. David Keith Cobb (born December 24 1962 in San Leon Texas) is an American activist and was the 2004 presidential candidate of the Green Party of In 2000 and 1996, Libertarian Harry Browne was bested by both the Green Party and Reform Party nominees. Harry Browne ( 17 June 1933 – 1 March 2006) was an American libertarian Writer, Politician, One of the Political parties in the United States, and similar in mission to many of the worldwide Green Parties, the Greens have been active as a third party The Libertarian candidate finished ahead of all other third party candidates in 1992, 1988, 1984, and 1980 (though it finished well behind independent candidates Ross Perot in 1992 and John Anderson in 1980). Henry Ross Perot (born June 27 1930 is an American businessman from Texas, who is best known for seeking the office of President of the United States in John Bayard Anderson (born February 15 1922 is an attorney and former United States Congressman and Presidential candidate No other currently active third party has finished third in a presidential election more than once, or received an electoral college vote, as the Libertarian candidate did in 1972 from a "faithless elector" pledged to Nixon and the Republican Party^[20]. Faithless electors are members of the Electoral College who do not cast their electoral votes for the people they have pledged to vote for

Earning ballot status

Ballot access can be considered as a measure of a political party's level of motivation, size, and financial and volunteer-base strength. Ballot access rules called nomination rules outside the US, regulate the conditions under which a candidate or Political party is either entitled to stand for election Despite internal bickering over whether to pursue ballot access or not, in 2004, the Libertarians earned a space on more ballots than the Greens (48+DC vs 27+DC). Ballot access rules called nomination rules outside the US, regulate the conditions under which a candidate or Political party is either entitled to stand for election Historically, Libertarians have also achieved 50-state ballot access for their presidential candidate three times, in 1980, 1992, and 1996 (in 2000 L. Ballot access rules called nomination rules outside the US, regulate the conditions under which a candidate or Political party is either entitled to stand for election Neil Smith was on Arizona ballot instead of nominee ^[21]), a feat no other third party has achieved more than once.

Funding candidates

The ability to fund a candidate is another measure of a party's size and strength. The following are the amounts spent on 2004 campaign activities for the presidential candidates, as reported by the FEC:

• George W. Bush (R) $367,228,801
• John Kerry (D) $326,236,288
• Ralph Nader (Ref. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. } John Forbes Kerry (born December 11 1943 is an American Politician who is currently serving his fourth term as the junior United States Senator Ralph Nader (born February 27 1934 is an American Attorney, Author, Lecturer, political activist, and independent candidate for President /indep. /Populist) $4,566,037
• Michael Badnarik (L) $1,093,013
• Michael Peroutka (Const. Michael J Badnarik (born August 1, 1954) is an American software engineer, political figure and Radio talk show host ) $709,087
• David Cobb (Green) $496,658

While these reflect only the funds raised by candidate committees directly, it is indicative of the relative fundraising strengths of the respective political parties. David Keith Cobb (born December 24 1962 in San Leon Texas) is an American activist and was the 2004 presidential candidate of the Green Party of For additional information about Libertarian Party finances, see the FEC references.

Party supporters

One measure of size is the number of donors a group attracts. In the Libertarian Party, some donors are not necessarily "members", because the Party since its founding in 1972 has defined a "member" as being someone who agrees with the Party's membership statement. The precise language of this statement is found in the Party Bylaws^[22]. There were 115,401 Americans who were on record as having signed the membership statement as of the most recent report^[23].

There is another measure the Party uses internally as well. Since its founding, the Party has apportioned delegate seats to its national convention based on the number of members in each state who have paid minimum dues (with additional delegates given to state affiliates for good performance in winning more votes than normal for the Party's presidential candidate). This is the most-used number by Party activists. As of December 31, 2006, Libertarian Party reported that there were 15,505 donating members.

Historically, dues were $15 throughout the eighties; in 1991, they were increased to $25. Between February 1, 2006 and the close of the 2006 Libertarian party convention on May 31, 2006, dues were set to $0^[24]. Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. However, the change to $0 dues was controversial and was de facto reversed by the 2006 national convention in Portland, Oregon; at which the members re-established a basic $25 dues category (now called Sustaining membership), and further added a requirement that all National Committee officers must henceforth be at least Sustaining members (this was not required prior to the convention). The Libertarian National Convention is held every two years by the United States Libertarian Party to choose members of the Libertarian National Committee and to conduct other Portland is a city located in the Northwestern United States, near the Confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers

Number of candidates

In recent elections, Libertarians have run far more candidates for office, at all levels, than all other third parties combined. In the 2004 elections, 377 Libertarian candidates vied for state legislative seats, compared with 108 Constitution Party candidates, 94 Green Party candidates, and 11 Reform Party candidates. In the 2000 elections, the party ran about 1,430 candidates at the local, state, and federal level. More than 1,600 Libertarians ran for office in the 2002 mid-term election. Accordingly, their combined vote totals have far exceeded those of other parties: in the 2000, 2002, and 2004 elections, Libertarian candidates for state House of Representatives received more than a million votes -- more than twice the votes received by all other minor parties combined.

Election victories

Libertarians have had mixed success in electing candidates at the state and local level. Following the 2002 elections, more than 300 Libertarians held elected or appointed state and local offices. Most of these Libertarians held nonpartisan appointed positions or were elected in nonpartisan races; by comparison, in June 2005 at least 222 Greens hold elected office. ^[25] Though twelve Libertarians have previously been elected to state legislatures, none hold that office currently, unlike the Constitution Party (one in Montana), the Progressive Party (six in Vermont), and the Republican Moderate Party (one in Alaska). The Constitution Party is a Conservative United States political party. Montana ( is a state in the Western United States. One-third of the state in the western part contains numerous mountain ranges (approximately 77 named of the northern The Vermont Progressive Party is an American Political party. Vermont ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The Republican Moderate Party of Alaska is a Political party in Alaska formed by Ray Metcalfe in 1986 as an alternative to what Metcalfe perceived to be Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent Some Libertarian candidates for state office have performed relatively strongly in statewide races. In two Massachusetts Senate races (2000 and 2002), Libertarian candidates Carla Howell and Michael Cloud, who did not face serious Republican contenders (in 2002 the candidate failed to make the ballot), won a record-setting 11. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Biography Carla A Howell (born 1955 is an American Politician and small government advocate Michael Cloud (Born Michael Emerling is a Motivational speaker and Libertarian Party activist 9% and 19% respectively. In 2002, Ed Thompson, the brother of former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, won 11% running for the same office, resulting in a seat on the state elections board for the Libertarian Party, the only such seat for a third party in the U. Ed Thompson (born December 25, 1944, in Elroy Wisconsin) is the Mayor of Tomah Wisconsin. Wisconsin ( or wɪˈskɑnsɨn (French Ouisconsin) is one of the fifty United States of America, located in the north central part of the United States Tommy George Thompson (born November 19, 1941) a United States Politician, was the 42nd Governor of Wisconsin and the 7th S.

Registration by party

Ballot access expert Richard Winger, the editor of Ballot Access News, periodically compiles and analyzes voter registration statistics as reported by state voter agencies, and he reports that as of July 2006, the Libertarians ranked fifth in voter registration nationally^[26]. Richard Lee Winger (born August 27, 1943) has been for the last forty years the leading advocate in the United States for minor political parties Ballot Access News is a monthly Newsletter edited and published by Richard Winger of San Francisco California. The Constitution Party ranked third with 366,937 registrants, next to the Greens' 289,177 and the Libertarians' 235,500. The Constitution Party is a Conservative United States political party. One of the Political parties in the United States, and similar in mission to many of the worldwide Green Parties, the Greens have been active as a third party

However, Winger says, nearly all of the 315,151 California voters affiliated with the Constitution Party are actually registrants of California's American Independent Party -- and they so registered in the belief that they were registering as independents (i. The American Independent Party is a California Political party. e. , not associating with any political party). The American Independent Party is a remnant of the segregationist party George Wallace founded for his race in 1972; within the last decade, the AIP has de facto merged with the Constitution Party ^[27]. George Corley Wallace Jr (August 25 1919 September 13 1998 was a Democratic Governor of Alabama for four terms (1963-1967 1971-1979 and 1983-1987 and ran for

The Libertarians ranked third in thirteen states, the Greens ranked third in five states, the Constitution Party ranked third in three states, and the Reform Party ranked third in one state (27 states allow voters to affiliate with a party; others prohibit voters from registering with third parties).

If New York (where Libertarians only recently won the right to register) and California (where the American Independent Party skews the results) are excluded, Libertarians rank fourth in voter registration nationwide. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. ^[28]

Other measures

Another possible measure of support for each party is the relative popularity of the organization's web site. According to Alexa Internet Traffic Reports, the Libertarian Party Website is currently the highest ranked official political party website in the United States. Alexa Internet Inc is a California -based Subsidiary company of Amazon

Ballot access

As of May 3, 2008, the Libertarian Party is on the ballot in the following 28 states for 2008. Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common It has also obtained ballot access only for its presidential candidate (as opposed to full party status) in Arkansas, giving it 29 total ballots for the 2008 presidential race. The Party has more ballot lines than any other third-party by comparison to the Green Party (on 24 ballots) and the Constitution Party (on 14 ballots). One of the Political parties in the United States, and similar in mission to many of the worldwide Green Parties, the Greens have been active as a third party The Constitution Party is a Conservative United States political party.

1. Alaska
2. Arizona
3. California
4. Colorado
5. Delaware
6. Florida
7. Georgia
8. Hawaii
9. Idaho
10. Indiana
11. Kansas
12. Louisiana
13. Maryland^[29]
14. Michigan
15. Mississippi
16. Missouri
17. Montana
18. Nevada
19. New Mexico
20. North Carolina¹
21. North Dakota^[30]
22. Oregon
23. South Carolina
24. Texas
25. Utah
26. Vermont
27. Wisconsin
28. Wyoming^[31]

• Note 1: Enough signatures have been collected, but North Carolina is still on deck for officially gaining ballot access.

Ballot access only for presidential candidate

Working on ballot access

There are a number of states currently in the process of gaining Libertarian ballot access (in court or by petition) either for the party as a whole or just for the party's 2008 presidential nominee^[32].

1. North Carolina - 86,400 signatures collected over last two years for 2008 ballot petition. The requirement is 69,734 but the party estimates they will need 95,000 raw signatures ^[33].
2. Oklahoma - lawsuit against Oklahoma’s ban on out-of-state circulators is currently pending in the 10th circuit ^[34]
3. Pennsylvania - In Court, but U. S. Supreme Court refused to hear original lawsuit; a new lawsuit has been subsequently filed. ^[35]

Failed to get ballot access

1. South Dakota - First time since before 1992, the Party failed to qualify. The Libertarian presidential nominee may still be able to acquire ballot access as an independent. [1]

Libertarian identity

A libertarian (lower-case l) is a person who believes in libertarian goals; he may or may not also be an LP member.

A Libertarian (upper-case l) is a libertarian who believes the existing political system is a proper and effective means of implementing those principles; specifically, one who is a Libertarian in the United States is a member of the U. S. Libertarian Party.

Some of the small-l libertarians eschew the political process as a matter of principle, and often identify themselves as Voluntaryists. Voluntaryism is a Philosophy that opposes anything that it sees as unjustifiably invasive and Coercive. They may view democracy as “the tyranny of the majority. ”^[36]

Other followers of the libertarian philosophy may consider the Libertarian Party tactically ineffective; or wish to distance themselves from the “big-l” Libertarian Party, which sometimes suffers from unwanted headlines generated by some members. For example, Stan Jones, a 2002 Libertarian senatorial candidate in Montana, turned his skin permanently blue from consuming colloidal silver in anticipation of medicine shortages stemming from the Year 2000 problem. Stan or Stanley Jones may refer to Stan Jones (politician (born 1943 American Libertarian politician Stan Jones (songwriter The Year 2000 problem (also known as the Y2K problem, the millennium bug, the Y2K bug, or simply Y2K) was a notable Computer bug resulting ^[37] Irwin Schiff, who ran for the 1996 Libertarian presidential nomination (but lost the Libertarian nomination to Harry Browne), maintains that the federal income tax is optional and voluntary for most people, in spite of a Department of Justice ruling that he owes more than $2 million (US) in taxes and penalties. Harry Browne ( 17 June 1933 – 1 March 2006) was an American libertarian Writer, Politician, For animal rights group see Justice Department (JD The United States Department of Justice ( DOJ) is a Cabinet department ^[38] (he is no longer a member of the Libertarian Party, having allied himself with the Constitution Party). The Constitution Party is a Conservative United States political party. Hence, a significant number of “small-l” libertarians either belong to other parties or consider themselves independents.

Similarly, not all Libertarians are libertarians. Political candidates with roots in other parties (referred to by some as Fibbertarians) have been known to register and run as Libertarians in order to take advantage of automatic ballot access or lower petition signature requirements. ^[39]

Internal debates

Anarchist/minarchist debate

The debate that has survived the longest is referred to by libertarians as the anarchist/minarchist debate. In 1974, anarchists and minarchists within the Party agreed to "cease fire" about the specific question of whether governments should exist at all, and focus on promoting voluntary solutions to the problems caused by government instead. In Civics, minarchism, sometimes called minimal Statism, small government, or limited-government Libertarianism ^[40] A related internal discussion concerns the philosophical divide over whether the Party should aim to be mainstream and pragmatic, or whether it should focus on being consistent and principled.

In the opinion of some, members who identify themselves as principled have dominated the party since the early 1980s. The departure of Ed Crane and David H. Koch (of the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank) is held up as an example. Edward H Crane is the founder and president of the Cato Institute. David Hamilton Koch ( born March 5 1940 is an American Billionaire businessman The Cato Institute is a Libertarian Think tank headquartered in Washington D A think tank (also called a policy institute) is an organization institute corporation or group that conducts Research and engages in advocacy in areas such Crane, who in the 1970s had been the party's first Executive Director, and some of his allies resigned from the Party in 1983 when their preferred candidates for national committee seats lost in the elections at the national convention.

The debate quieted for a time, then arose again in the mid-1990s, when a "Committee for a Libertarian Majority" (CLM) was formed and met in Atlanta, Georgia, and worked up several proposals to alter many aspects of the Libertarian Party's operations. Two of their proposals (substantially altering the platform and abolishing the membership pledge) attracted a lot of attention and opposition sprang up in the form of another committee called PLEDGE. In the long run, CLM's proposals attracted some support at the national convention but did not prevail.

Beginning in roughly 2004, the debate arose anew, with the formation of several reform groups, such as the Libertarian Reform Caucus, the Libertarian Party Reform Caucus (now defunct), and the Real World Libertarian Caucus (now defunct). The Libertarian Reform Caucus is a coalition of American Libertarians operating as an internal caucus of the Libertarian party. The Libertarian Party Reform Caucus (LPRC was a political organization in the United States dedicated to reforming the Libertarian Party nationwide The Real World Libertarian Caucus was a Caucus within the Libertarian Party (hereinafter LP of the United States. These groups generally advocate(d) revising the party's platform, eliminating or altering the membership statement, and focusing on a politics-oriented approach aimed at presenting libertarianism to voters in what they deemed a less threatening manner. As in the past, groups promoting a more pure interpretation of libertarian principles, such as the LPRadicals and the Rothbard Caucus, have emerged in response. The LPRadicals is a Caucus within the United States Libertarian Party. These groups advocate an unwavering, more robust interpretation of libertarianism with a focus on a consistent message marketed by candidates and the Party leadership.

Abortion

See also: Libertarian perspectives on abortion

In the early eighties, Libertarians for Life was formed to support a change in the Party's pro-choice stance. Libertarians promote individual liberty and seek to minimize the role of the state Libertarians For Life is a non-sectarian group expressing an opposition to Abortion within the context of Libertarianism. Overview See also Ethical aspects of abortion Pro-choice advocates emphasize their beliefs that having a child is a personal choice that affects a woman's body and To some extent, those efforts succeeded as the platform was eventually altered to acknowledge that many Libertarians consider themselves to be pro-life. Overview See also Ethical aspects of abortion Pro-life individuals generally believe that human life should be valued either from conception or Implantation Conversely, in 1987, another group of Party members were concerned that Dr. Ron Paul (at the time a seeking the Party's presidential nomination) might promote his belief that all abortion (from the time of conception) should be outlawed by the states, and thereby confuse voters about the Party's actual platform stance. This group formed Pro-Choice Libertarians to support Paul's opponent, Russell Means, and, once the nomination went to Paul, they continued their efforts to dissuade him from making an issue of abortion. Russell Charles Means ( Lakota: Oyate Wacinyapin (Works for the People born November 10 1939) is one of contemporary America 's best-known

Intervention in Afghanistan

On September 13, 2001, just two days after the September 11, 2001 attacks and in response to what they saw as ambiguous statements about U. S. intervention in Afghanistan by the Libertarian National Committee, Todd Andrew Barnett and other Party members formed Libertarians for Peace. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت,

Platform revision

Prior to the 2006 convention, there was a push to repeal or substantially rewrite the Platform, at the center of which were groups such as the Libertarian Reform Caucus. The Libertarian Reform Caucus is a coalition of American Libertarians operating as an internal caucus of the Libertarian party. ^[41] While those efforts were in some measure successful in that the current platform was much shortened (going from 61 to 15 planks – 11 new planks and 4 retained from the old platform) over the previous one, the overriding theme of the platform remains largely the same. ^[3]

Members differ as to the reasons why the changes were relatively more drastic than any platform actions at previous conventions. For instance, some delegates voted for changes so the Party could appeal to a wider audience; while others simply thought the entire document needed an overhaul. It was also pointed out that the text of the existing platform was not provided to the delegates, making many reluctant to vote to retain the planks when the existing language wasn't provided for review. ^[42]

Not all party members approved of the changes, some believing them to be a setback to libertarianism^[43] and an abandonment of what they see as the most important purpose of the Libertarian Party. Various elements within the Party are currently organizing to assure their input in the future course of the organization.

At the 2008 national convention a new platform was voted in by the delegates, as well as removing the remaining planks from the 2006 platform. The new platform is comprised mostly of recycled language from previous platforms going back to 1972. The planks were renamed and are generally no longer than three to four sentences.

Membership dues

In mid-2005, the Libertarian National Committee voted on a motion by George Sqyures to eliminate all dues for membership in the national Libertarian Party, effective January 1, 2006. The Libertarian National Committee controls and manages the affairs properties and funds of the United States Libertarian Party. ^[44] However, this change was extremely controversial. Opponents pointed out to LNC members that there was already a "free" membership category -- under the party's bylaws, one needed only sign the membership statement. They argued the Sqyures proposal merely changed delegate apportionment and nothing else; and thus was basically "window dressing". Ultimately, the members at the 2006 national convention overturned the decision in Portland, Oregon. The Libertarian National Convention is held every two years by the United States Libertarian Party to choose members of the Libertarian National Committee and to conduct other Portland is a city located in the Northwestern United States, near the Confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers The members re-established a basic $25 dues category (now called Sustaining membership), and further added a requirement that all National Committee officers must henceforth be at least Sustaining members (this was not required prior to the convention).

Voluntaryists

Some Libertarians concluded that libertarianism itself could not be effectively promoted through political means, and left to form a specifically non-political arm of the libertarian movement, the voluntaryists. Voluntaryism is a Philosophy that opposes anything that it sees as unjustifiably invasive and Coercive. ^[45]

Media misidentification

Occasionally, media outlets incorrectly label Lyndon LaRouche as a Libertarian in articles about the controversy he generates. Views of Lyndon LaRouche Lyndon Hermyle LaRouche Jr (born September 8 1922 in Rochester New Hampshire) is an American Political activist and founder of several ^[46] Mistakes such as this are problematic for any political party, but have a heavier impact on a smaller party which generally gets less press coverage overall. However, LaRouche has never sought the Libertarian nomination for President. He has either run for office as a Democrat or with the now-defunct U.S. Labor Party. See Labor Party (United States for the modern party which has a similar name but is unconnected with the US Labor Party

Internal caucuses

• LPRadicals Website
• Rothbard Caucus Website
• Libertarian Reform Caucus Website
• Libertarian Defense Caucus Website
• Libertarians for Peace Website
• Libertarian Women's Caucus
• Libertarian Student Caucus
• Libertarian Youth Caucus

See also

• List of state Libertarian Parties in the U.S.
• List of political parties in the United States
• List of libertarian political parties internationally
• Libertarian National Congressional Committee
• Free State Project
• Voluntarism
• Category:Members of the Libertarian Party (United States)

Other Libertarian/classical liberal political parties in U. The LPRadicals is a Caucus within the United States Libertarian Party. The Libertarian Reform Caucus is a coalition of American Libertarians operating as an internal caucus of the Libertarian party. In addition to the national Libertarian Party in the United States there are fifty state Libertarian parties and a Libertarian Party in the District of Columbia. This list of Political parties in the United States contains past and present political parties in the United States. Many countries and subnational political entities have libertarian political parties. Past officers and directors Ben Brandon Marc Montoni, database manager Chuck Moulton, webmaster Bill Redpath, treasurer The Free State Project (FSP is a plan to have 20000 individuals move to a single state in the United States, with the intent of influencing local This article is about the metaphysical philosophy known as voluntarism S. history

• National Democratic Party (United States) — A U. The National Democratic Party or Gold Democrats was a short-lived political party of Bourbon Democrats, who opposed the regular party nominee William Jennings S. political party from 1896–1900 that shared much of the modern Libertarian Party's basic ideology.

References

External links

• US Libertarian Party official site
• Libertarian National Congressional Committee official site
• Libertarian (party) at the Open Directory Project

Previous presidential candidates campaign sites

• Archive of 2004 LP presidential candidate web site
• Archive of 2000 LP presidential candidate web site
• Archive of 1996 LP presidential candidate web site
• Archive of 1996 LP vice presidential candidate web site