Libertarian Party (United States)

Libertarian Party
ChairpersonAngela McArdle (TX)
Governing bodyLibertarian National Committee
Presidential nomineeChase Oliver (GA)
Vice Presidential nomineeMike ter Maat (FL)
FounderDavid Nolan
FoundedDecember 11, 1971; 52 years ago (1971-12-11)
Headquarters1444 Duke St.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Membership (2023)Increase 741,930[1]
Ideology
International affiliationInternational Alliance of Libertarian Parties
Colors  Gold-yellow
Slogan"The Party of Principle"
Seats in the Senate
0 / 100
Seats in the House of Representatives
0 / 435
State governorships
0 / 50
Seats in state upper chambers
0 / 1,972
Seats in state lower chambers
1 / 5,411[a]
Territorial governorships
0 / 5
Seats in territorial upper chambers
0 / 97
Seats in territorial lower chambers
0 / 91
Other elected officials177 (May 2024)[7]
Election symbol
Website
www.lp.org Edit this at Wikidata
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The Libertarian Party (LP) is a neoclassical liberal political party in the United States that promotes civil liberties, non-interventionism, laissez-faire capitalism, and limiting the size and scope of government. The party was conceived in August 1971 at meetings in the home of David F. Nolan in Westminster, Colorado,[8][9] and was officially formed on December 11, 1971, in Colorado Springs.[9] The organizers of the party drew inspiration from the works and ideas of the prominent Austrian school economist Murray Rothbard.[10] The founding of the party was prompted in part due to concerns about the Nixon administration, the Vietnam War, conscription, and the introduction of fiat money.[11]

The party generally supports a classical liberal platform, much different to the Democratic Party's modern liberalism and progressivism and the Republican Party's conservatism and right-wing populism.[12][non-primary source needed] Gary Johnson, the party's presidential nominee in 2012 and 2016, claims that the Libertarian Party is more socially liberal than Democrats, and more fiscally conservative than Republicans.[13] Its fiscal policy positions include lowering taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), decreasing the national debt, allowing people to opt out of Social Security and eliminating the welfare state, in part by utilizing private charities. Its social policy positions include ending the prohibition of illegal drugs, advocating criminal justice reform,[14] supporting same-sex marriage, ending capital punishment, and supporting gun ownership rights.[12]

As of May 2024, it is the third-largest political party in the United States by voter registration. In the 2020 election, the Libertarians gained a state legislative seat in the Wyoming House of Representatives, the first such win for the party since 2000.[15][16][17] The first and only Libertarian in the United States Congress was Justin Amash, who joined the Libertarian Party in 2020 and left the U.S. House of Representatives in 2021 after choosing not to seek re-election.

In 2022, the Mises Caucus (LPMC) became the dominant faction on the Libertarian National Committee, leading to internal conflicts and significant policy changes, such as regarding immigration and abortion.[18][19] Some classical liberalism-minded dissidents split from the Libertarian party to form the Association of Liberty State Parties.[b][19]

  1. ^ "Voter Registration Totals". Ballot Access News. December 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Murphy, Tim (May 2024). "The spectacular implosion of the Libertarian Party". Mother Jones. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  3. ^ Yeager, Leland B. (2001). Ethics As Social Science: The Moral Philosophy of Social Cooperation. Edward Elgar Publishing. p. 283.
  4. ^ a b Grigsby, Ellen (2011). "Neoclassical Liberals". In Ishiyama, John T.; Breuning, Marijke (eds.). 21st Century Political Science A Reference Handbook. SAGE Publications. p. 603. ISBN 978-1483305462.
  5. ^ a b "Ideological Third Parties and Splinter Parties". June 3, 2017. Archived from the original on January 16, 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  6. ^ Franks, Benjamin (2013). "Anarchism". In Sargent, Lyman Tower; Stears, Marc; Freeden, Michael (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Political Ideologies (1st ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 389. ISBN 978-0-19-958597-7. LCCN 2013938773.
  7. ^ "Elected Officials". Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  8. ^ Martin, Douglas. David Nolan, 66, Is Dead; Started Libertarian Party, New York Times, November 22, 2010.
  9. ^ a b "David Nolan Reflects on the Libertarian Party on its 30th Anniversary". Colorado Freedom Report. Archived from the original on June 30, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  10. ^ Judy (March 1, 2017). "The Political Importance of Murray Rothbard". Mises Institute. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  11. ^ Murphy, Michael Patrick (2004). The Government. iUniverse. p. 555. ISBN 978-0-595-30863-7.
  12. ^ a b "Platform". July 11, 2018.
  13. ^ Julie Ershadi (April 30, 2013). "Gary Johnson: I'm way More Conservative and way More Liberal Than Both Parties". Roll Call. Archived from the original on May 6, 2013. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  14. ^ "Crime and Justice". Libertarian Party. July 27, 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  15. ^ Aspegren, Elinor. "Not a Republican, not a Democrat: Wyoming's Marshall Burt wins Libertarian Party's first statehouse seat since 2002". USA Today. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  16. ^ "Wyoming Newspaper Story About Marshall Burt, New Libertarian Legislator | Ballot Access News". November 6, 2020.
  17. ^ "State Representative – NHSOS". March 31, 2017. Archived from the original on March 31, 2017.
  18. ^ Heer, Jeet (June 6, 2022). "The Libertarian Party Goes Alt-Right". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  19. ^ a b Doherty, Brian (May 29, 2022). "Mises Caucus Takes Control of Libertarian Party". Reason. Retrieved May 28, 2024.


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