Beruflich Dokumente
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Libertarian Party
Party Chairman Bill Redpath
Senate Leader None
House Leader None
Founded December 11, 1971
Headquarters 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Suite 200
Washington, D.C. 2003
Political ideology Libertarianism
Noninterventionism
Political position Fiscal: Laissez Faire
Social: Libertarian views of rights
International None
affiliation
Color(s) Yellow or Gold[1]
Website Libertarian Party
The Libertarian Party is a United States political party founded on December 11,
1971.[2] 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,[3]
including mayors, county executives, countycouncil members, schoolboard members
and other local officials. It has more people in office than all other third parties
combined.[3]
The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects that group's particular brand of
libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissezfaire markets, strong civil
liberties, minimally regulated migration across borders, and noninterventionism in
foreign policy that respects freedom of trade and travel to all foreign countries.
Key tenets of the Libertarian Party platform include the following[4]:
• Adoption of laissezfaire 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.
• Protection of property rights.
• 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.
• No government interference in reproductive rights, including access to
abortion. (Rightlibertarians and Libertarians for Life usually do not support
abortion, but they believe that the federal government has no say in regulating
the procedure).
• Support for the unrestricted right to the means of selfdefense (such as gun
rights, the right to carry mace or pepper spray, etc).
• Abolition of laws against "victimless crimes" (such as prostitution, driving
without a seatbelt, use of controlled substances, fraternization, etc.).
• Opposition to regulations on how businesses should run themselves (e.g.,
smoking)
• A foreign policy of free trade and noninterventionism.
• Support for a fiscally responsible government including a hard currency
(commoditybased money supply as opposed to fiat currency).
• Abolition of all forms of taxpayerfunded assistance (welfare, food stamps,
public housing, etc.)
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. 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 onedimensional spectrum, divided between
Democrats representing the Left or Centerleft and Republicans representing the Right
or Centerright.
The Nolan chart, with the traditional leftright political spectrum on the dashed
diagonal
To illustrate their view that the onedimensional 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 twodimensional. A
variation of the Nolan chart is enhanced (via a link from the main website) by a ten
question poll (five questions dealing with economicfreedom issues and five questions
dealing with personalfreedom issues), which it bills as "The World's Smallest Political
Quiz," allowing respondents to classify their political leanings.
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 noninterventionist foreign policy, the repeal of drug prohibition, and
the elimination of laws that interfere with private consensual acts (such as
prostitution and gambling). 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. 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
Leadership
The members, when gathered at the biannual Libertarian National Convention, are
the ultimate authority within the Libertarian Party.
A 17member National Committee[5] (currently chaired by William Redpath) is
responsible for overseeing daytoday operations of the national Libertarian Party and
its headquarters, in representative style.
The current executive director is[6] Shane Cory.
The Libertarian National Congressional Committee (LNCC) assists party candidates in
statelevel races; its current chairman is M. 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[7]. 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[8].
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.[9] 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.[10]
2008 Presidential nominating process
Several nominees are seeking to become the party's 2008 presidential candidate. Mike
Gravel has changed from the Democratic Party to the Libertarian Party. The final
selection will be made at the 2008 national convention in Denver, Colorado, in late
May 2008. Ron Paul, who was the party's 1988 candidate, 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 does not win the Republican Party nomination. [11]
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.[12] This group included John Hospers,
Edward Crane, Manuel Klausner, Murray Rothbard, R.A. Childs, Theodora (Tonie)
Nathan, and Jim Dean. 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.
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 GilsonDe 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.
Libertarian Presidential Tickets By the 1972 presidential election,
the party had grown to over 80
1972: John Hospers and Theodora Nathan members and had attained ballot
2,691 popular votes (0.003%); 1 electoral vote; access in two states. Their
1976: Roger MacBride and David Bergland presidential ticket, John Hospers
173,011 popular votes (0.21%) and Theodora Nathan, earned
1980: Ed Clark and David Koch fewer than 3,000 votes, but
921,299 popular votes (1.1%) received the first and only
1984: David Bergland and James A. Lewis electoral college vote for a
228,705 popular votes (0.25%) Libertarian presidential ticket,
1988: Ron Paul and Andre Marrou from Roger MacBride of Virginia,
432,179 popular votes (0.47%) who was pledged to Richard
1992: Andre Marrou and Nancy Lord Nixon. His was also the first vote
291,627 popular votes (0.28%) ever cast for a woman in the
1996: Harry Browne and Jo Jorgensen United States Electoral College.
485,798 popular votes (0.50%) MacBride became the party's
2000: Harry Browne and Art Olivier presidential nominee in the 1976
384,431 popular votes (0.36%) Presidential Election.
2004: Michael Badnarik and Richard Campagna
397,265 popular votes (0.34%)
In 1978 Dick Randolph became the first Libertarian to win statelevel office with his
election to the Alaska House of Representatives.
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 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.
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. 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 threeyear 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. In 1984, the
party's presidential nominee, David Bergland, gained access to the ballot in 36 states
and earned onequarter of one percent of the popular vote. 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).[13]
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. 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. For the first time since the Clark
campaign in 1980, the Libertarian Party made the ballot in all 50 states, DC, and
Guam. 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. 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. 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. The
VP candidate in 1996 was South Carolina entrepreneur Jo Jorgensen; in 2000, Art
Olivier of California was Browne's running mate. In 1996 the Party again made the
ballot in all 50 states, DC and Guam. 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. 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 gunrights 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. 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. 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."[14]
Also in 1972, the "Libersign"—an arrow angling upward through the acronym
"TANSTAAFL"—is selected as the party's emblem.[15] Some time after, this was
replaced with the Lady Liberty, which has, ever since, served as the party's symbol or
mascot.
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.[16]
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). 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 nonpartisan 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. 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. 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 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 libertarianminded members of that party. On the other hand, there
is strong Libertarian influence on some Democrats, too; the Democratic Freedom
Caucus is a group of libertarianminded members of the Democratic Party. It could be
said that libertarianism is more "liberal" on social beliefs and more "conservative" on
economic beliefs.
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. The Libertarian Party
supported Republican efforts to impeach Bill Clinton, although for different reasons
(citing several actions they deemed to be unconstitutional). 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.
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. 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[17] and
joined the Libertarian National Committee.
Libertarians oppose Republicans on various issues of civil liberties, and government
spending and national debt. For example, the Libertarian Party has sharply attacked
the USA PATRIOT Act for its potential for infringement of civil rights. 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.
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. 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. 2004
candidate Michael Badnarik made a similar claim. 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. 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. Their claim is disputed by some,
especially other third parties such as the Green Party. There is no single objective,
agreedupon 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 minorparty
strength. 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%.[18] Over 13,400,000 votes were cast for
Libertarian Party candidates in 2006. [19]
Presidential candidate performance
Libertarians point to the performance of their presidential candidates, who have often
finished above most other permanentlyorganized third parties. In the 2004 election,
Libertarian Michael Badnarik received more votes (397,265[20]) than all nonmajor
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). In 2000 and 1996,
Libertarian Harry Browne was bested by both the Green Party and Reform Party
nominees. 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). 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[21].
Earning ballot status
Ballot access can be considered as a measure of a political party's level of motivation,
size, and financial and volunteerbase strength. 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). Historically, Libertarians have also
achieved 50state ballot access for their presidential candidate three times, in 1980,
1992, and 1996 (in 2000 L. Neil Smith was on Arizona ballot instead of nominee [22]), 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./indep./Populist) $4,566,037
• Michael Badnarik (L) $1,093,013
• Michael Peroutka (Const.) $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. 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[23]. There were 115,401 Americans who were on record as having signed the
membership statement as of the most recent report[24].
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 mostused 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[25]. 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 reestablished 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).
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 midterm 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.[26] 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). 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
recordsetting 11.9% 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.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[27]. The Constitution Party ranked third with 366,937 registrants, next to
the Greens' 289,177 and the Libertarians' 235,500.
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.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 [28].
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.[29]
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.
Ballot access
As of February 27, 2008, the Libertarian Party is on the ballot in the following 27
states for 2008. It has also obtained ballot access only for its presidential candidate (as
opposed to full party status) in Arkansas, giving it 28 total ballots for the 2008
presidential race. The Party has more ballot lines than any other thirdparty by
comparison to the Green Party (on 24 ballots) and the Constitution Party (on 14
ballots).
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[30]
14. Michigan
15. Mississippi
16. Missouri
17. Montana
18. Nevada
19. New Mexico
20. North Dakota[31]
21. Oregon
22. South Carolina
23. Texas
24. Utah
25. Vermont
26. Wisconsin
27. Wyoming[32]
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 parties
2008 presidential nominee[33].
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 [34].
2. Oklahoma lawsuit against Oklahoma’s ban on outofstate circulators is
currently pending in the 10th circuit [35]
3. Pennsylvania In Court, but U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear original
lawsuit; a new lawsuit has been subsequently filed. [36]
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 (lowercase l) is a person who believes in libertarian goals; he may or
may not also be an LP member.
A Libertarian (uppercase 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 smalll libertarians eschew the political process as a matter of principle,
and often identify themselves as Voluntaryists. They may view democracy as “the
tyranny of the majority.”[37]
Other followers of the libertarian philosophy may consider the Libertarian Party
tactically ineffective; or wish to distance themselves from the “bigl” 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.[38] 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.[39] (he is no longer a member of the Libertarian Party,
having allied himself with the Constitution Party). Hence, a significant number of
“smalll” 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.[40]
Internal debates
Like all groups, the Libertarian Party has endured internal debates about strategy
since its inception in 1971.
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.[41] 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 libertarianleaning think tank) is held up as an example. Crane 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 mid1990s, 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). These
groups generally advocate(d) revising the party's platform, eliminating or altering the
membership statement, and focusing on a politicsoriented approach. As in the past,
groups promoting a consistent interpretation of libertarian principles, such as the
LPRadicals and the Rothbard Caucus, have emerged in response. These groups
advocate a principled and consistent interpretation of libertarianism, and focusing on
constant outreach with a consistent message marketed by candidates and the Party
leadership.
Abortion
In the early eighties, Libertarians for Life was formed to support a change in the
Party's prochoice stance. To some extent, those efforts succeeded as the platform was
eventually altered to acknowledge that many Libertarians consider themselves to be
prolife. 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 ProChoice 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.
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.
Platform
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.[42]. 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[4].
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.[43]
Naturally, not all Party members approved of the changes; believing them to be a
setback to libertarianism[44] 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.
Membership dues
In mid2005, 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.[45] 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 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 nonpolitical arm of
the libertarian movement, the voluntaryists.[46]
Media Misidentification
Occasionally, media outlets incorrectly label Lyndon LaRouche as a Libertarian in
articles about the controversy he generates.[47] 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.
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
• Libertarian perspectives on gay rights
• Free State Project
• Voluntarism
• Category:Members of the Libertarian Party (United States)
Other Libertarian/classical liberal political parties in U.S. history
• National Democratic Party (United States) — A U.S. political party from 1896–
1900 that shared much of the modern Libertarian Party's basic ideology.
References
1. ^ "Libertarian Color", LPedia.org. Retrieved on November 29, 2007.
2. ^ Libertarian Party:Our History, LP.org
3. ^ a b "Frequently asked questions about the Libertarian Party", Official Website of the
Libertarian National Committee. Retrieved on July 25, 2006.
4. ^ a b National Platform of the Libertarian Party, Official Website of the Libertarian
National Committee. Retrieved on July 25, 2006
5. ^ Libertarian Party National Committee. Retrieved October 14, 2007
6. ^ Libertarian Party National Director, Shane Cory. Retrieved October 14, 2007
7. ^ "LP will focus on membership growth, affiliate party support, and ballot access",
Libertarian Party News, February 1999. Retrieved May 15, 2007
8. ^ "Change is hard, but it's also necessary", Libertarian Party News, December 2005.
Retrieved May 15, 2007
9. ^ Gilgoff, Dan. "Dean's List", U.S. News & World Report, 20060716. Retrieved on
20070426.
10. ^ Official Website of the Libertarian National Committee
11. ^ Libertarians want Paul back. Libertarian Party resolution as reported by
SmallGovTimes.com. 12122007.
12. ^ Winter, Bill, "19712001: The Libertarian Party's 30th Anniversary Year:
Remembering the first three decades of America's 'Party of Principle'" LP News
13. ^ Lakewood City Council page showing Council members. Retrieved November 22,
2006.
14. ^ Winter, Bill, "19712001: The Libertarian Party's 30th Anniversary Year:
Remembering the first three decades of America's 'Party of Principle'" LP News
15. ^ Winter, Bill, "19712001: The Libertarian Party's 30th Anniversary Year:
Remembering the first three decades of America's 'Party of Principle'" LP News
16. ^ "LP" The Liberty PenguinTM, Retrieved 8 December 2007
17. ^ LPNews, NovemberDecember 2006, page 9
18. ^ Richard Winger article comparing the electoral strength of minorparty candidates.
19. ^ http://lp.org/archives/2006ar.pdf
20. ^ "U.S. Presidential Results", Federal Election Commission. Retrieved on May 21, 2007.
21. ^ "Faithless Electors", Center for Voting and Democracy. Retrieved on July 25, 2006.
22. ^ Arizona November 2000 General Election
23. ^ Official Bylaws of the Libertarian Party. Retrieved May 14, 2007,
24. ^ [Membership Report] prepared 04/12/2004 for cutoff of 03/31/2004, circulated by
the LNC. Retrieved May 14, 2007,
25. ^ "LNC Approves Zero Dues", LP News, September 1, 2005. Retrieved on July 25, 2006.
26. ^ Feinstein, Mike. "Green Party Members Holding Elected Office in the United States",
June 2005. Retrieved on July 25, 2006.
27. ^ Ballot Access News, January 1, 2007 Partisan Registration in the United States.
Retrieved November 22, 2006.
28. ^ Political consultant Ron Gunzburger's Politics1.com web page describing American
third parties Retrieved March 12, 2006.
29. ^ Ballot Access News, January 2007 Partisan Registration in the United States.
Retrieved January 1, 2007.
30. ^ "Maryland Libertarian petition certified" from Ballot Access News
31. ^ "Libertarian, Green, Constitution petitionsfor2008"
32. ^ 2008 PETITIONING FOR PRESIDENT Ballot Access News
33. ^ 2008 PETITIONING FOR PRESIDENT Ballot Access News
34. ^ "North Carolina Libertarians have 86,400 signatures on 2008 party petition"
35. ^ "Oklahoma ballot access initiative doomed by oklahoma initiative restrictions"
36. ^ MORE LAWSUIT NEWS Ballot Access News
37. ^ Raymond, Eric S. "What's the difference between smalll libertarian and bigl
Libertarian?", The Libertarianism FAQ, March 14, 2004. Retrieved on July 25, 2006.
38. ^ "Senate Candidate Blue Literally". CNN.com, October 3, 2002. Retrieved on July 25,
2006.
39. ^ Pierce, Jason. "Proponent of 'Voluntary' Income Tax Sued for Millions".
CNSNews.com, May 30, 2002. Retrieved on July 25, 2006. Department of Justice. "Court
Rules Irwin Schiff Owes U.S. Treasury over Two Million Dollars". Press Release, June 17,
2004. Retrieved on July 25, 2006.
40. ^ Templar, Le. "Tempe:The Outlaw Libertarian That Ran For Office In Arizona",
Tribune, July 3, 2005. Retrieved on July 25, 2006.
41. ^ The Dallas Accord, Minarchists, and why our members sign a pledge, by Mike Hihn,
in the "Washington Libertarian", July 1997. Retrieved on May 14, 2007
42. ^ "Victory in Portland! Libertarian Reform Caucus"
43. ^ "Portland and the LP Platform: The Perfect Storm", a review by George Squyres,
Platform Committee chairman. Retrieved on November 2, 2006.
44. ^ "The LP's Turkish Delight by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.".
45. ^ "LNC Approves Zero Dues", LP News, September 1, 2005. Retrieved on July 25, 2006.
46. ^ From Politics To Voluntaryism Editorial: Let My People Go The Ethics Of Voting,
Part 2 from The Voluntaryist, Vol. 1 No. 2, December, 1989. Retrieved on May 14, 2007
47. ^ Dasbach, Steve. "From the Chair: Building Credibility". LP News, May 1994. Retrieved
on July 25, 2006. Smith, Herb. "We've Got To Elect the Guy, First; And Then, We've Got
To Train Him", WCIN, October 19, 2004 (transcript). Retrieved on July 25, 2006.
External links
• US Libertarian Party official site
• Libertarian National Congressional Committee official site
• Libertarian (party) at the Open Directory Project