Libertarian Party (United States)

Libertarian Party
ChairpersonAngela McArdle (TX)
SecretaryCaryn Ann Harlos (CO)
FoundedDecember 11, 1971; 53 years ago (1971-12-11)
Headquarters1444 Duke St.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Membership (February 2020)Increase 652,261[a][1]
IdeologyMajority:
Libertarianism[2]
Laissez-faire[3]
Cultural liberalism[3]
Classical liberalism[3]
Economic liberalism[3]
Fiscal conservatism[3]
Non-interventionism[4]
Factions:
Minarchism[5]
Anarcho-capitalism[5]
Libertarian socialism[6]
Paleolibertarianism[7]
Political positionBig tent[8]
Social: Left-wing
Fiscal: Right-wing
International affiliationInternational Alliance of Libertarian Parties
Colors  Gold-yellow
Slogan"Minimum government, maximum freedom."
Senate
0 / 100
House of Representatives
0 / 435
State governorships
0 / 50
State upper chambers
0 / 1,972
State lower chambers[9][10]
2 / 5,411
Territorial governorships
0 / 6
Territorial upper chambers
0 / 97
Territorial lower chambers
0 / 91
Other elected offices221 (2021)[11]
Election symbol
Website
lp.org

The Libertarian Party is a political party in the United States, founded in 1971. The current Chairwoman of the Libertarian National Committee is Angela McArdle of Texas since 2022.

It is the third largest party in the United States in terms of the popular vote in the country's elections and number of candidates run per election, and it is also identified by many as the fastest growing political party in the United States.

Ideas

The political ideas of the Libertarian Party reflect the ideas of libertarianism: supporting less regulated markets, a less powerful state, strong civil liberties (favoring same-sex marriage and other LGBT rights),[12] the legalization of cannabis,[13] separation of church and state, open immigration, neutrality in diplomatic issues, staying out of other countries' wars,[14] freedom of trade and travel to all foreign countries, and a better democracy. They also support more lenient gun laws.[15]

As of February 2024, there are over 650,000[b][1] voters registered as Libertarians. Hundreds of Libertarian candidates have been elected or appointed to public office, and thousands have run for office under the Libertarian banner.

Presidential elections

The Libertarian Party has had a number of records, such as being the first party to get an electoral vote for a woman in a United States presidential election. On May 5, 2012, Gary Johnson received the Libertarian Party's official nomination for President of the United States in the 2012 election. In 2016, Johnson once again became the party's nominee with running mate William Weld. In the United States presidential election, 2016 they won more popular votes than ever before. In 2020, Jo Jorgensen became the Presidential nominee with the running mate Spike Cohen.

Libertarian Party nominees for president and vice president
Year President Vice President Popular vote Electoral vote
1972 John Hospers Tonie Nathan 0.00% 1
1976 Roger MacBride David Bergland 0.21% 0
1980 Ed Clark David H. Koch 1.06% 0
1984 David Bergland James A. Lewis 0.25% 0
1988 Ron Paul Andre Marrou 0.47% 0
1992 Andre Marrou Nancy Lord 0.28% 0
1996 Harry Browne Jo Jorgensen 0.50% 0
2000 Harry Browne Art Olivier 0.36% 0
2004 Michael Badnarik Richard Campagna 0.32% 0
2008 Bob Barr Wayne Allyn Root 0.40% 0
2012 Gary Johnson Jim Gray 0.99% 0
2016 Gary Johnson Bill Weld 3.28% 1[c]
2020 Jo Jorgensen Spike Cohen 1.18% 0

Caucuses

Given the diverse nature of libertarianism, there are several political factions within the Libertarian Party that have formed caucuses. Currently, the Mises Caucus runs the party.

Other websites

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Winger, Richard (October 24, 2020). "Nationwide Voter Registration Data by Party". ballot-access.org. Retrieved October 27, 2020. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "membership" defined multiple times with different content
  2. ↑ Rothbard, Murray Newton (1978). For a New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto. p. 153. Even more remarkably, the Libertarian party achieved this growth while consistently adhering to a new ideological creed—"libertarianism"—thus bringing to the American political scene for the first time in a century a party interested in principle rather than in merely gaining jobs and money at the public trough
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Ideological Third Parties and Splinter Parties". June 3, 2017. Archived from the original on January 16, 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Libertarian Party opposes further intervention in Iraq". June 18, 2014. Archived from the original on December 26, 2018. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Less Antman, The Dallas Accord is Dead, Lew Rockwell.com, May 12, 2008.
  6. ↑ Duane Paul Murphy (September 12, 2018). "Libertarian Socialists Organize Online Within the Libertarian Party". College Media Network. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  7. ↑ Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr. "The Case for Paleo-libertarianism Archived 2013-04-01 at the Wayback Machine" in Liberty, January, 1990, 34–38.
  8. ↑ Silver, Nate (27 May 2008). "The Libertarians' Big Tent". FiveThirtyEight. ABC News. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  9. ↑ "Elected Officials – Marshall Burt". Libertarian Party. Libertarian National Committee. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  10. ↑ Harris, Tyler (14 December 2020). "Maine State Rep. John Andrews Joins the Libertarian Party". Libertarian Party. Libertarian National Committee. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  11. ↑ "Elected Officials". Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  12. ↑ June 10, 2011. Libertarians say marriage equality only one step toward ending legal discrimination. Official website.
  13. ↑ Crime and Violence Archived 2013-10-03 at the Wayback Machine. Official Website. Accessed: October 13, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Libertarian Party on War & Peace". OnTheIssues. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
  15. ↑ Gun Laws Archived 2013-10-08 at the Wayback Machine. Official Website. Accessed: October 13, 2013.

Notes 9. reference is a dead link

  1. ↑ Only includes individuals who have registered Libertarian in the 31 jurisdictions that allow registration with the Libertarian Party. Jurisdictions include Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.
  2. ↑ Only includes individuals who have registered Libertarian in the 31 jurisdictions that allow registration with the Libertarian Party. Jurisdictions include Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.
  3. ↑ Libertarian Party member Ron Paul received 1 electoral vote in the 2016 United States presidential election, not Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson.