List of Libertarian Parties: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox_American_Political_Party |
  party_name    = Libertarian Party |
  party_articletitle  = Libertarian Party (United States) |
  party_logo    = [[Image:Libertarianpartylogo.png|LP Logo]] |
  chairman = [[Bill Redpath]] |
  senateleader= N/A|
  houseleader= N/A|
  foundation    = [[1971]] |
  ideology = [[Libertarianism]],
[[Classical Liberalism]]|, [[Social Liberalism]]|
  international = none, but in correspondence with [http://www.isil.org ISIL] and [http://www.Libertarian-International.org LIO] |
  colours = a shade of [[Blue]]; [[Yellow]]<sup>1</sup> |
  headquarters  =  2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Suite 100<br>[[Washington, DC]] 20037 |
  website = [http://www.lp.org Libertarian Party] |
footnotes = <sup>1</sup>Used occasionally to distinguish them from the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]
}}
{{Wikipedia}}
{{Cleanup}}
{{libertarianism}}
The '''Libertarian Party''' is an [[United States|American]] political party founded in [[1971]]. It is one of the largest continuing [[Third party (United States)|third parties]] in the United States, claiming more than 200,000 registered voters and more than 600 people in public office, including mayors, county executives, county council members, school board members and other local officials. It has more people in office than all other third parties combined.<ref>"[http://www.lp.org/article_85.shtml Frequently asked questions about the Libertarian Party]", Official Website of the Libertarian National Committee. Retrieved on [[July 25]], [[2006]].</ref>


The stated [[political platform|platform]] of the Libertarian Party is consistent with elements of the philosophy of [[libertarianism]], favoring minimally regulated, ''[[laissez-faire]]'' markets, and strong [[civil liberties]].
There are a number of libertarian parties and organizations in the world, which to varying degrees may or may not resemble the views of the libertarian movement in the United States.


== Platform ==
Key tenets of the Libertarian Party platform include the following:
* Adoption of laissez-faire principles which will result in the complete separation of state and economics. This will include, among other things, enormous reduction in taxation, privatization of [[Social Security (United States)|Social Security]] and [[welfare]] (for both individuals and companies), elimination of business regulation, abolition of labor regulations such as the [[minimum wage]] and the cessation 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 protections, [[free speech|freedom of speech]], [[freedom of association]], and [[sexual freedom]].
** In the area of [[abortion]], though, there is a division in the ranks.  Pro-choice Libertarians see the issue as one where the woman has a right to rule her own body, with government having no right to dictate otherwise.  Pro-life Libertarians see the issue as one where the unborn child also has individual rights which should be protected by the government.
* Support for the unrestricted right to the means of self-defense (such as [[gun rights]], the right to carry mace or pepper spray, etc).
* Abolition of laws against [[victimless crimes]] (prostitution, driving without a seatbelt, use of controlled substances, etc.).
* Opposition to [[conscription]].
* A foreign policy of free trade and non-interventionism.
* Support a fiscally responsible government
Libertarians state that their platform follows from consistent application of the principle of mutual respect for rights, and the liberty of exercise thereof, and thus are deeply supportive of the concept of ''[[individual liberty]]'' as a pre-condition 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 one-dimensional spectrum, divided between [[United States Democratic Party|Democrats]] representing the [[Left-wing politics|left]] or center-left and [[United States Republican Party|Republicans]] representing the [[Right-wing politics|right]] or center-right.
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. 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 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.
Among outside political watchers, some consider Libertarians to be conservative (primarily because of their support of the [[Second Amendment to the United States Constitution|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).  In reality, Libertarians are neither conservative nor liberal; rather, they represent a unique philosophy that is all their own.  It is entirely possible that the need, or the feeling that the party must be either conventionally conservative or conventionally liberal - with no matter whether these thoughts come from outside or from within - is one reason for the weakness of the Libertarians in past elections.
Within the framework of [[libertarianism|libertarian politics]], the Libertarian Party's platform falls in the realm of [[free market]]  [[minarchism]]. 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|USA]] would benefit from most of its proposed changes.
==History ==
The Libertarian Party was formed in the home of [[David Nolan (Libertarian Party)|David Nolan]] on [[11 December]] [[1971]], after several months of [[debate]] among members of the [[Committee to Form a Libertarian Party]], founded [[July 17]]th. This group included [[John Hospers]], [[Edward Crane]], [[Manual Klausner]], [[Murray Rothbard]], [[Roy Childs|R.A. Childs]], [[Theodora Nathan]], and Jim Dean. Prompted in part by [[price controls]] implemented by President [[Richard Nixon]], the Libertarian Party viewed the dominant [[United States Republican Party|Republican]] and [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic]] parties as having diverged from what they viewed as the [[libertarian]] principles of the American [[Founding Fathers of the United States|founding fathers]].
{| align=left cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 0 2ex 2ex 0; border: 1px solid rgb(170,170,170)"
|-
|<center>'''[[List of United States Libertarian Party presidential tickets|Libertarian Presidential Tickets]]'''</center>
[[U.S. presidential election, 1972|1972]]: [[John Hospers]] and [[Theodora Nathan]]
<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2,691 popular votes (0.003%); 1 electoral vote;
<br>[[U.S. presidential election, 1976|1976]]: [[Roger MacBride]] and [[David Bergland]]
<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;173,011 popular votes (0.21%)
<br>[[U.S. presidential election, 1980|1980]]: [[Ed Clark]] and [[David H. Koch|David Koch]]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;921,299 popular votes (1.1%)
<br>[[U.S. presidential election, 1984|1984]]: [[David Bergland]] and [[James A. Lewis]]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;228,705 popular votes (0.25%)
<br>[[U.S. presidential election, 1988|1988]]: [[Ron Paul]] and [[Andre Marrou]]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;432,179 popular votes (0.47%)
<br>[[U.S. presidential election, 1992|1992]]: [[Andre Marrou]] and [[Nancy Lord]]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;291,627 popular votes (0.28%)
<br>[[U.S. presidential election, 1996|1996]]: [[Harry Browne]] and [[Jo Jorgensen]]
<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;485,798 popular votes (0.50%)
<br>[[U.S. presidential election, 2000|2000]]: [[Harry Browne]] and [[Art Olivier]]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;384,431 popular votes (0.36%)
<br>[[U.S. presidential election, 2004|2004]]: [[Michael Badnarik]] and [[Richard Campagna]]
<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;397,367 popular votes (0.34%)
|}
By the [[U.S. presidential election, 1972|1972 presidential election]], the party had grown to over 80 members and had attained [[ballot access]] in two states. 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 ticket, from [[Roger MacBride]] of [[Virginia]], who was pledged to [[Richard Nixon]]. His was the first vote ever cast for a woman in the [[United States Electoral College]]. [[Roger MacBride|MacBride]] became the party's presidential nominee in the [[U.S. presidential election, 1976|1976 Presidential Election]].
In the [[U.S. presidential election, 1980|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 (United States)|third party]] accomplished this since the [[United States Socialist Party|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 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|TWA]], running against both a Republican and a Democrat, was elected to the office of [[Kingwood Township, New Jersey|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 three-year term of office.
In [[1983]], the party was divided by internal disputes; former party leaders [[Edward Crane]] and [[David H. Koch|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 one-quarter of one percent of the popular vote.
In [[1988]], former [[United States Republican Party|Republican]] Congressman [[Ron Paul]] won the Libertarian nomination for president and was on the ballot in 46 states. [[Ron Paul|Paul]] later successfully ran for [[United States House of Representatives|Congress]] 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#Elections|ticket]], with [[attorney]] [[Nancy Lord]] as his [[Vice President]]ial (VP) running mate.  For the first time since the [[Ed Clark|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]] tickets.  The VP candidate in 1996 was [[South Carolina]] [[entrepreneur]] [[Jo Jorgensen]]; in [[2000]], [[Art Olivier]] of [[California]] was Browne's running mate.  Again the Party made the ballot in all 50 states, [[District of Columbia|DC]] and [[Guam]].
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.
The [[2004]] election cycle saw the Libertarian Party's closest presidential nomination race to date. Three candidates -- gun-rights activist and software engineer [[Michael Badnarik]], talk radio host [[Gary Nolan (radio host)|Gary Nolan]], and Hollywood producer [[Aaron Russo]] -- all came within two percent of each other on the first two ballots at the [[2004]] [[Libertarian National Convention|national convention]] in [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]]. [[Michael Badnarik|Badnarik]] was chosen as the party's presidential nominee on the third ballot after [[Gary Nolan (radio host)|Nolan]] was eliminated, a comeback many saw as surprising, as [[Michael Badnarik|Badnarik]] had not been viewed as a frontrunner for the nomination &mdash; many delegates were won over during the convention itself, due to [[Michael Badnarik|Badnarik]]'s perceived strong performance in a formal candidate debate.
The [[Michael Badnarik|Badnarik]] campaign scored ballot status in 48 states (plus [[District of Columbia|DC]] and [[Guam]]) and earned 397,367 votes.  Despite less name recognition and a much smaller campaign checkbook, [[Michael Badnarik|Badnarik]] polled nearly as well as independent candidate [[Ralph Nader]].
The Libertarian Party's current national chair is [[Bill Redpath]]. Its  most recent executive director was [[Joe Seehusen]], who resigned on [[August 5]], [[2005]].<ref>"[http://www.lp.org/lpnews/article_768.shtml Executive Director Joe Seehusen Resigns]", ''LP News'', September 1, 2005. Retrieved on [[July 25]], [[2006]].</ref> Communications Director Shane Cory is temporarily acting as Chief of Staff.  In March of 2006, the national committee began the process of naming Shane Cory as the new Executive Director.
In mid-2005, the Libertarian National Committee voted to eliminate all dues for membership in the national Libertarian Party, effective January 1, 2006.<ref>"[http://www.lp.org/lpnews/article_769.shtml LNC Approves Zero Dues]", ''LP News'', September 1, 2005. Retrieved on [[July 25]], [[2006]].</ref>  However, this change was controversial and was de facto reversed by action of the Summer 2006 [[Libertarian National Convention|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 2006 convention also produced a significantly altered party platform.  While some delegates voted for changes so the Party could appeal to a wider audience, others simply thought the entire document needed an overhaul.  In addition, the delegates were not provided with a copy of the existing platform; afterwards, some stated they were reluctant to vote to retain the planks when the existing language wasn't provided for review <ref>"[http://www.libertyforall.net/?p=6 Portland and the LP Platform: The Perfect Storm]", a review by George Squyres, Platform Committee chairman.  Retrieved on [[November 2]], [[2006]].</ref>.  Whatever the reasons, the platform was much shortened, but the overriding theme of the platform remains largely the same.
There was a push to repeal or substantially rewrite the Platform, centered around groups such as the [[Libertarian Reform Caucus]].<ref>"[http://www.reformthelp.org/ Victory in Portland!]". See also "[http://www.lp.org/issues/platform_all.shtml National Platform of the Libertarian Party]", Official Website of the Libertarian National Committee. Retrieved on [[July 25]], [[2006]].</ref>  Naturally, not all Party members approved of the changes; believing them to be a setback to libertarianism<ref>"[http://www.lewrockwell.com/rockwell/lp-turkish-delight.html]". </ref> and an abandonment of what they see as the most important purpose of the Libertarian Party.
== 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 [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic]] and the [[United States Republican Party|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 United States House of Representatives|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 [[United States Republican Party|Republican]] [[Congressman]] from [[Texas]], and is also a member of the [[Republican Liberty Caucus]], a group of libertarian-minded 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 libertarian-minded members of the Democratic Party. It could be said that libertarianism is more "[[liberal]]" on social beliefs and more "[[Conservatism|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]] (who has subsequently spoken at Libertarian Party functions and expressed agreement with many of the party's positions). It opposes the Republican Party on various issues of civil liberties: 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 [[War on Drugs|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 [[United States Republican Party|Republican Party]] generally follows a conservative stance, this also implies a stronger link between the two parties.
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 political party|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 (United States)|Greens]]. 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.  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%. <ref>[http://www.ballot-access.org/2006/11/19/which-minor-party-did-best-in-us-house-races/ Richard Winger article] comparing the electoral strength of minor-party candidates. </ref>
===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 (397,367 votes) 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 of the United States of America|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]] 144,292 votes) and three times as many as Green Party candidate ([[David Cobb]] 119,852 votes). In 2000 and 1996, Libertarian [[Harry Browne]] was bested by both the [[Green Party (United States)|Green Party]] and [[Reform Party of the United States of America|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 Bayard Anderson|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.<ref>"[http://www.fairvote.org/e_college/faithless.htm#4 Faithless Electors]", [[Center for Voting and Democracy]]. Retrieved on [[July 25]], [[2006]].</ref>
===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.  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 50-state ballot access for their presidential candidate four times (in 1980, 1992, 1996, and 2000), 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.) $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 repsective political parties.  For additional information about Libertarian Party finances, see the FEC references.
===Party Supporters===
The Libertarian Party in part measures its growth on the number of dues-paying members it attracts. The formula for allocating delegates to their national convention was based on the number of members who paid the membership dues of $25.00 per year with additional delegates given to an affiliate for the number of votes that state gave to a Party Presidential candidate. For the 2006 convention the Libertarian Party showed they had 15,505 members.
===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.<ref>Feinstein, Mike. "[http://www.feinstein.org/greenparty/electeds.html Green Party Members Holding Elected Office in the United States]", June 2005. Retrieved on [[July 25]], [[2006]].</ref> Though twelve Libertarians have previously been elected to state legislatures, none hold that office currently, unlike the [[United States Green Party|Greens]] (one in [[Maine]]), the [[Vermont Progressive Party|Progressive Party]] (six in [[Vermont]]), the [[Republican Moderate Party of Alaska|Republican Moderate Party]] (one in [[Alaska]]), and the [[Working Families Party]] (one in [[New York]]). 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 11.9% 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===
As of July [[2006]], the Libertarians ranked fifth in voter registration nationally
<ref>[http://www.ballot-access.org/2006/070106.html#11 Ballot Access News, July 2006] -- Partisan Registration in the United States. Retrieved [[November 22]], [[2006]].</ref>. The [[United States Constitution Party|Constitution Party]] ranked third with 357,506 registrants, next to the [[United States Green Party|Greens]]' 290,165 and the Libertarians' 235,540.  However, in the opinion of [[Richard Winger]], the editor of [[Ballot Access News]], of the 311,481 California voters affiliated with the [[Constitution Party]], who are actually registrants of California's [[American Independent Party]], nearly all registered in the belief that they were registering as independents i.e. not associating with any political party. The Libertarians ranked third in fifteen states, the Greens ranked third in eight states, the Constitution Party ranked third in two states, and the Reform Party ranked third in one state. (Only 27 states allow voters to affiliate with a party; some of them 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. <ref>[http://www.ballot-access.org/2006/070106.html#11 Ballot Access News, July 2006] -- Partisan Registration in the United States. Retrieved [[November 22]], [[2006]].</ref>
===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 November 2006 The Libertarian Party is on the ballot in the following states. [http://www.ballot-access.org/2006/11/14/ballot-status-tally-for-president-in-2008/]
# Alaska
# Arizona
# California
# Colorado
# Delaware
# Florida
# Georgia
# Hawaii
# Idaho
# Indiana
# Kansas
# Louisiana
# Michigan
# Mississippi
# Missouri
# Montana
# Nevada
# New Mexico
# Oregon
# South Carolina
# Texas
# Vermont
# Wisconsin
==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 US Libertarian Party.
Some of the small-l 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."<ref>Raymond, Eric S. "[http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/libertarianism.html#A7 What's the difference between small-l libertarian and big-l Libertarian?]", ''The Libertarianism FAQ'', March 14, 2004. Retrieved on [[July 25]], [[2006]].</ref>
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]].<ref>"[http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/10/02/offbeat.blue.candidate/ Senate Candidate Blue -- Literally]". ''[[CNN.com]]'', October 3, 2002. Retrieved on [[July 25]], [[2006]].</ref>  [[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 [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]] ruling that he owes more than $2 million (US) in taxes and penalties.<ref>Pierce, Jason. "[http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/5/29/190021.shtml Proponent of 'Voluntary' Income Tax Sued for Millions]". ''[[CNSNews.com]]'', May 30, 2002. Retrieved on [[July 25]], [[2006]].  Department of Justice. "[http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2004/June/04_tax_417.htm Court Rules Irwin Schiff Owes U.S. Treasury over Two Million Dollars]". Press Release, June 17, 2004. Retrieved on [[July 25]], [[2006]].</ref> (it should be noted he is no longer a member of the Libertarian Party, having allied himself with the [[Constitution Party (United States)|Constitution Party]]).
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.<ref>Templar, Le. "[http://arizona.indymedia.org/news/2005/07/28313.php Tempe:The Outlaw Libertarian That Ran For Office In Arizona]", ''[[Tribune (magazine)|Tribune]]'', July 3, 2005. Retrieved on [[July 25]], [[2006]].</ref>
Like all groups, the Libertarian Party has internal debates about strategy.  Some members refer to themselves as "mainstream" or "pragmatic," while others describe themselves as "consistent" or "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 Koch (of the [[Cato Institute]], a libertarian-leaning [[think tank]]) is held up as an example.  Crane and some of his allies resigned from the Party in 1983 when their candidates for national committee seats were defeated at the National Convention.
The debate quieted for a time, then rose 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.  Their proposals attracted opposition 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.
More recently, the debate has arisen anew with the formation of several "reform" groups, such as the ([[Libertarian Reform Caucus]], [[Libertarian Party Reform Caucus]], [[Real World Libertarian Caucus]]), all advocating revision of the party's platform and a more "politics-oriented" approach.  As in the past, opposition groups have sprung up as well.
Some media outlets have incorrectly labeled [[Lyndon LaRouche]] as a Libertarian in articles about the controversy he generates.<ref>Dasbach, Steve. "[http://www.lp.org/lpn/9403-chair.html From the Chair: Building Credibility]". ''LP News'', May 1994. Retrieved on [[July 25]], [[2006]]. Smith, Herb. "[http://www.larouchepac.com/pages/interviews_files/2004/041019_cincinnati.htm 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]].</ref> 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.
== See also ==
*[[List of political parties in the United States]]
*[[Rothbard Caucus]]
==External links==
===General===
===General===
*[http://www.LP.org/ US Libertarian Party] official site
*[http://www.LP.org/ US Libertarian Party] official site
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*[[Libertarian International Organization]]
*[[Libertarian International Organization]]
*[[Interlibertarians]]
*[[Interlibertarians]]
==Notes==
<div class="references-small"><references/></div>




[[Category:Libertarian Parties]]
[[Category:National Libertarian Parties]]
[[Category:Libertarian Party|*]]
[[Category:Lists of Libertarian Parties]]

Latest revision as of 19:34, 6 June 2019

There are a number of libertarian parties and organizations in the world, which to varying degrees may or may not resemble the views of the libertarian movement in the United States.

General

Libertarian Parties in other nations

International Libertarian Group(s)

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