Background

"Libertarian (n.): an advocate of the doctrine of free will"

In 1975, President Reagan created a tie between the Republican conservative values and those of the Libertarian front. Later, Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich won praise from the Libertarians for his supposed libertarian values and attempt to shrink government. Easy as it would be to call Libertarians conservative Republicans in drag, it's not quite the truth at all. Conversely, while the Libertarians happen to be very hands off on civil liberties (like the good ol' Dems), it'd be a stretch to imagine the two parties walking hand in hand on the Hill. So, what exactly is a Libertarian?

The Libertarian Party's 1988 Presidential Candidate, Ron Paul

Social Policy:

• Freedom and Responsibility: "We believe people must accept personal responsibility for the consequences of their actions."

• Freedom of Communication: "We defend the rights of individuals to unrestricted freedom of speech, freedom of the press and the right of individuals to dissent from government itself. We recognize that full freedom of expression is possible only as part of a system of full property rights. The freedom to use one's own voice; the freedom to hire a hall; the freedom to own a printing press, a broadcasting station, or a transmission cable; the freedom to host and publish information on the Internet; the freedom to wave or burn one's own flag; and similar property-based freedoms are precisely what constitute freedom of communication. At the same time, we recognize that freedom of communication does not extend to the use of other people's property to promote one's ideas without the voluntary consent of the owners.

• Freedom of Religion: "We defend the rights of individuals to engage in (or abstain from) any religious activities that do not violate the rights of others."

• Property Rights: "Only individuals and private entities have the full right to control, use, dispose of, or in any manner enjoy their property without interference, until and unless the exercise of their control infringes on the valid rights of others. Resource management and planning are the responsibility and right of the legitimate owners of land, water and other natural resources. Individuals have the right to homestead unowned resources, both within the jurisdictions of governments and within such unclaimed territory as the ocean, Antarctica and extraterrestrial bodies."

• Right to Privacy: "The individual's right to privacy, property, and right to speak or not to speak should not be infringed by the government. The government should not use electronic or other means of covert surveillance of an individual's actions or private property without the consent of the owner or occupant. Correspondence, bank and other financial transactions and records, doctors' and lawyers' communications, employment records, and the like should not be open to review by government without the consent of all parties involved in those actions."

• Right to Keep & Bear Arms: "The Bill of Rights recognizes that an armed citizenry is essential to a free society. We affirm the right to keep and bear arms. We oppose any government efforts to ban or restrict the use of tear gas, "mace" or other self-protection devices. We further oppose all attempts to ban weapons or ammunition on the grounds that they are risky or unsafe. We favor the repeal of laws banning the concealment of weapons or prohibiting pocket weapons. We also oppose the banning of inexpensive handguns ("Saturday night specials") and semi-automatic or so-called assault weapons and their magazines or feeding devices."

• The Draft: "Coerced national service programs presume the government can claim ownership of the lives of individuals. Such programs are a form of involuntary servitude and are a clear violation of the US Constitution 13th Amendment."

• Reproductive Rights: "Individual rights should not be denied nor abridged on the basis of sex, age, dependency, or location. Taxpayers should not be forced to pay for other people's abortions, nor should any government or individual force a woman to have an abortion. It is the right and obligation of the pregnant woman regardless of age, not the state, to decide the desirability or appropriateness of prenatal testing, Caesarean births, fetal surgery, voluntary surrogacy arrangements and/or home births."

• Sexuality & Gender: "Consenting adults should be free to choose their own sexual practices and personal relationships. Government does not have legitimate authority to define or license personal relationships. Repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act and state laws and amendments defining marriage. Oppose any new laws or Constitutional amendments defining terms for personal, private relationships. Repeal any state or federal law assigning special benefits to people based on marital status, family structure, sexual orientation or gender identification. Repeal any state or federal laws denying same-sex partners rights enjoyed by others, such as adoption of children and spousal immigration. Sexuality or gender should have no impact on the rights of individuals."

Where the Libertarian Party Falls on the Politic Scale: Fiscally Right, Socially Left

Fiscal Policy:

• Government Debt: "The government should operate on a 'pay as you go' basis, and not incur debt. Eliminate the national debt using an incremental approach, being careful to avoid social disruption. We support the passage of a 'Balanced Budget Amendment' to the US Constitution that restricts Congress from spending any more than it collected in revenue the previous year. Eliminate earmarks, pork-barrel spending, and other forms of political corruption. Congress should sell assets and reduce spending on non-essential functions to pay off the national debt as quickly as possible."

• Corporate Welfare, Monopolicies & Subsidies: "Individuals must be free to be aggressive competitors and form corporations, cooperatives and other types of companies based on voluntary association in the market place, and must enjoy no state-sponsored advantage. Those who best supply a good or service in the market will enjoy natural dominance only as long as they continue to benefit consumers. Subsidies and government-granted monopolies protect the non-competitive from market forces."

• Public Services: "All rate regulation in utilities should transition to free market pricing. End the Postal Service's monopoly and allow for the free competition in all aspects of mail delivery. State and local monopoly services should be opened to free-market competition. Local and state governments can auction assets such as utility systems and landfills to private industry, thereby immediately reducing the tax burden on their citizens."

Domestic Policy:

• Crime & Victimless Crime: "Immediately reform the justice system's mandatory sentencing policies to ensure that violent offenders are not released from jail to make room for non-violent offenders. Repeal criminal laws which work against the protection of the rights and freedom of American citizens, residents or visitors, particularly laws which create a crime where no victim exists."

• The War on Drugs: "Individuals should have the right to use drugs, whether for medical or recreational purposes, without fear of legal reprisals, but must be held legally responsible for the consequences of their actions only if they violate others� rights."

The 2000 & 2004 Elections in Perspective

Foreign Policy:

• Immigration: "Ensure immigration requirements include only appropriate documentation, screening for criminal background and threats to public health and national security. Simplifying the immigration process and redeployment of surveillance technology to focus on the borders will encourage the use of regular and monitored entry points, thus preventing trespass and saving lives. End federal requirements that benefits and services be provided to those in the country illegally. Repeal all measures that punish employers for hiring undocumented workers. Repeal all immigration quotas."

How the Libertarians Have Performed in Presidential Elections

• The War in Iraq: "There has been a great deal of controversy about so-called facts presented by the White House about the initial cause for military action in Iraq; it is time we look at some real facts. We are indeed nation building. We are playing policeman in a civil war. We have attacked and killed thousands of people in Iraq because of the actions of a terrorist from Saudi Arabia. We have chased non-existent weapons of mass destruction instead of the terrorists who killed nearly three thousand Americans on 9/11. We are creating more terrorists on a daily basis because of our intervention in Iraq. In short, we went after the wrong bad guys and are now stuck in the middle of someone else�s civil war. It is time for U.S. forces to withdraw from Iraq as quickly as possible in a manner consistent with the safety of our troops."

Structure

Recent Developments

Accomplishments

Criticism

Additional Information

• The Libertarian Party is America's 3rd largest political party.