Libertarian Party

The Libertarian Party is a political third party in the United States. Libertarians believe the government should not interfere in an individual's life unless they are doing harm to another. This party includes many of the economic ideals espoused by the Republican Party, and many of the social values of the Democratic Party. Libertarians champion ideals of minimal government intervention in social, international, and economic policy because they believe those with authority can become corrupt and abuse their power.

A third party in the United States is any political party that is not the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. The Democratic and Republican Parties are the two main political groups; therefore, all other political parties are labeled as third parties.

During presidential elections, candidates from third parties such as the Libertarian Party are not given the opportunity to participate in debates. Media coverage of third-party candidates is minimal.

Background

The Libertarian Party was founded by David Nolan in 1971. Libertarians are said to be socially liberal because they tend to agree with the left wing on most social issues. Their party platform covers many of these issues.

It is important to Libertarians that all people have equal rights, regardless of their religion, race, gender, or sexual orientation. Party members tend to believe that people should not need to obtain permission from the government to marry. As long as those involved in the relationship are of legal age and give consent, there is no reason for any kind of government intervention.

The party strongly advocates ending the war on drugs. Drug use, according to Libertarians, is a victimless crime. People should not be punished if they are only harming themselves. They believe those who have been convicted of drug offenses, but have committed no acts of violence, should have all their rights restored, including gun rights and voting rights.

A major part of the Libertarian platform is non-interventionism. They believe the United States should not be the world's police force, nor should the lives of its citizens be risked for interests that do not benefit them. Rather, the party advocates a strong national defense.

Libertarians sought to limit the surveillance apparatus that the federal government put in place after the attacks of September 11, 2001. They believe the government does not have a right to treat its citizens as criminals and go through private communications. Security and safety should never infringe on personal freedoms, and if a choice must be made between the two, Libertarians support freedom. They support people's actions on the Internet being private and free of surveillance.

Because of concerns of government overreach and abuse, Libertarians also believe the country's law enforcement should not use military equipment and should not engage in any searches and seizures without a warrant.

Gun control is a social issue on which Libertarians divert from the liberal view. The Second Amendment, they believe, is an important part of the United States Constitution and should not be infringed upon in the name of safety. They feel that citizens have a right to protect themselves.

Like conservative Republicans, Libertarians hold dear the concept of the free market. They believe government does not have a place in regulating business. This also means that taxpayer dollars should not be spent on bailouts of banks or companies that are failing. At the same time, if a company harms the environment and causes direct harm to people, government action should be taken. Instead, they believe that people will make their opinions known with their money. Their belief in the free market does not mean support of "crony capitalism," which refers to lucrative collaboration between corporations and the government. Crony capitalism usually only benefits individuals who are favorably connected to those who hold power or money. Libertarians also want to eliminate Social Security and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Taxes, according to Libertarians, are similar to theft. Money is taken from the people and spent in ways they may not like. Simply, Libertarians believe that people are better stewards of their own money than government officials are.

Ron Paul was a popular political figure for Libertarians. He served as a congressman from Texas three different times between 1976 and 2013. A registered Republican, his views resonated with Libertarian and Libertarian-leaning voters when he ran for president in 2008 and 2012. In 1988, Paul ran for president on the Libertarian ticket. He believed in not raising taxes and espoused a non-interventionist foreign policy. He was against provisions for mass surveillance, and he did not believe in regulating the internet. Upon leaving public office, he served as chairman of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity, an educational organization.

Ron Paul's son, Rand Paul, a United States senator from Kentucky, sought the Republican nomination for president in 2016. Like his father, he opposed a growing surveillance state and interventionist policies. He did not make it far into the Republican primaries before dropping out of the race, ending his bid after the Iowa caucuses, the first contest of the presidential election. Rand Paul was also spending a lot of money, and his campaign coffers were running low by the end of 2015. He was unable to harness the same energy his father had in previous presidential elections.

Gary Johnson was a Libertarian candidate who sought the office of president in 2016. He ran against Hillary Rodham Clinton and Donald J. Trump in that year's presidential election, and received 3.3 percent of the popular vote. From 1994 to 2002, Johnson held the office of governor of New Mexico, but he was a Republican at the time.

The Libertarian Party nominated Jo Jorgensen for president in 2020. Running against Trump and Joe Biden, Jorgensen received 1.2 percent of the popular vote that year.

Libertarian Party Today

Since its inception, the Libertarian Party has grown to be the third-largest political party in the United States. This figure is based on the number of candidates running for office. Seven-hundred and seventy-four Libertarian candidates sought office in 2022.

In 2024, Chase Oliver won the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination. He campaigned on broadening the party's appeal to voters and set a goal of earning 2 percent of the national vote in that year's presidential election. He had previously run several times in Georgia as a Libertarian candidate for Congress.

Bibliography

"About the Institute." Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity, ronpaulinstitute.org/about-us/. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.

"About the Libertarian Party." Libertarian National Committee, 2024, www.lp.org/about/. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.

"Civil Liberties." Libertarian National Committee, 2024, www.lp.org/issues/civil-liberties/. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.

"The Economy." Libertarian National Committee, 2024, www.lp.org/issues/the-economy/. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.

Jackson, David, et al. "Rand Paul Ends Presidential Bid." USA Today, 3 Feb. 2016, www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/02/03/rand-paul-presidential-campaign/79654314/. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.

Kamisar, Ben. "5 Things the Libertarian Party Stands For." The Hill, 5 May 2016, thehill.com/homenews/campaign/281399-5-things-the-libertarian-party-stands-for. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.

"Presidential Elections: The Road to the White House." Ballotpedia, 2024, ballotpedia.org/Libertarian‗Party. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.