What Do Liberatarians Believe?

LIBERTARIAN PARTY PLATFORM

 

As adopted in Convention, May 2012, Las Vegas, Nevada

PREAMBLE

As Libertarians, we seek a world of liberty; a world in which all individuals are sovereign over their

own lives and no one is forced to sacrifice his or her values for the benefit of others. We believe that respect for individual rights is the essential precondition for a free and prosperous world, that force and fraud must be banished from human relationships, and that only through freedom can peace and prosperity be realized.  Consequently, we defend each person's right to engage in any activity that is peaceful and honest,  and welcome the diversity that freedom brings. The world we seek to build is one where individuals  are free to follow their own dreams in their own ways, without interference from government or any authoritarian power.  In the following pages we have set forth our basic principles and enumerated various policy stands  derived from those principles.  These specific policies are not our goal, however. Our goal is nothing more nor less than a world set  free in our lifetime, and it is to this end that we take these stands.

STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES

 

We, the members of the Libertarian Party, challenge the cult of the omnipotent state and defend the

rights of the individual.  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.  Governments throughout history have regularly operated on the opposite principle, that the State has the right to dispose of the lives of individuals and the fruits of their labor. Even within the United States, all political parties other than our own grant to government the right to regulate the lives of individuals and seize the fruits of their labor without their consent.  We, on the contrary, deny the right of any government to do these things, and hold that where governments exist, they must not violate the rights of any individual: namely, (1) the right to life -- accordingly we support the prohibition of the initiation of physical force against others; (2) the right to liberty of speech and action -- accordingly we oppose all attempts by government to abridge the freedom of speech and press, as well as government censorship in any form; and (3) the right to property -- accordingly we oppose all government interference with private property, such as confiscation, nationalization, and eminent domain, and support the prohibition of robbery, trespass, fraud, and misrepresentation.  Since governments, when instituted, must not violate individual rights, we oppose all interference by government in the areas of voluntary and contractual relations among individuals. People should not be forced to sacrifice their lives and property for the benefit of others. They should be left free by government to deal with one another as free traders; and the resultant economic system, the only one compatible with the protection of individual rights, is the free market.

1.0 PERSONAL LIBERTY

 

Individuals should be free to make choices for themselves and to accept responsibility for the

consequences of the choices they make. No individual, group, or government may initiate force

against any other individual, group, or government. Our support of an individual's right to make

choices in life does not mean that we necessarily approve or disapprove of those choices.

1.1 Expression and Communication

 

We support full freedom of expression and oppose government censorship, regulation or control of

communications media and technology. We favor the freedom to engage in or abstain from any
religious activities that do not violate the rights of others. We oppose government actions which

either aid or attack any religion.

1.2 Personal Privacy

 

Libertarians support the rights recognized by the Fourth Amendment to be secure in our persons,

homes, and property. Protection from unreasonable search and seizure should include records held

by third parties, such as email, medical, and library records. Only actions that infringe on the rights

of others can properly be termed crimes. We favor the repeal of all laws creating “crimes” without

victims, such as the use of drugs for medicinal or recreational purposes.

1.3 Personal Relationships

 

Sexual orientation, preference, gender, or gender identity should have no impact on the government's treatment of individuals, such as in current marriage, child custody, adoption, immigration or military service laws. Government does not have the authority to define, license or restrict personal relationships. Consenting adults should be free to choose their own sexual practices and personal relationships.

1.4 Abortion

 

Recognizing that abortion is a sensitive issue and that people can hold good-faith views on all sides,

we believe that government should be kept out of the matter, leaving the question to each person for
their conscientious consideration.

1.5 Crime and Justice

Government exists to protect the rights of every individual including life, liberty and property.

Criminal laws should be limited to violation of the rights of others through force or fraud, or

deliberate actions that place others involuntarily at significant risk of harm. Individuals retain the

right to voluntarily assume risk of harm to themselves. We support restitution to the victim to the

fullest degree possible at the expense of the criminal or the negligent wrongdoer. We oppose

reduction of constitutional safeguards of the rights of the criminally accused. The rights of due

process, a speedy trial, legal counsel, trial by jury, and the legal presumption of innocence until proven guilty, must not be denied. We assert the common-law right of juries to judge not only the

facts but also the justice of the law.

1.6 Self-Defense

 

The only legitimate use of force is in defense of individual rights — life, liberty, and justly acquired

property — against aggression. This right inheres in the individual, who may agree to be aided by any other individual or group. We affirm the individual right recognized by the Second Amendment

to keep and bear arms, and oppose the prosecution of individuals for exercising their rights of self defense.  We oppose all laws at any level of government requiring registration of, or restricting, the
 ownership, manufacture, or transfer or sale of firearms or ammunition.

2.0 ECONOMIC LIBERTY

Libertarians want all members of society to have abundant opportunities to achieve economic success. A free and competitive market allocates resources in the most efficient manner. Each person has the right to offer goods and services to others on the free market. The only proper role of

government in the economic realm is to protect property rights, adjudicate disputes, and provide a

legal framework in which voluntary trade is protected. All efforts by government to redistribute wealth, or to control or manage trade, are improper in a free society.

2.1 Property and Contract

 

Property rights are entitled to the same protection as all other human rights. The owners of property

have the full right to control, use, dispose of, or in any manner enjoy, their property without interference, until and unless the exercise of their control infringes the valid rights of others. We oppose all controls on wages, prices, rents, profits, production, and interest rates. We advocate the

repeal of all laws banning or restricting the advertising of prices, products, or services. We oppose

all violations of the right to private property, liberty of contract, and freedom of trade. The right to

trade includes the right not to trade — for any reasons whatsoever. Where property, including land,

has been taken from its rightful owners by the government or private action in violation of individual rights, we favor restitution to the rightful owners.

2.2 Environment

 

We support a clean and healthy environment and sensible use of our natural resources. Private

landowners and conservation groups have a vested interest in maintaining natural resources.  Pollution and misuse of resources cause damage to our ecosystem. Governments, unlike private businesses, are unaccountable for such damage done to our environment and have a terrible track record when it comes to environmental protection. Protecting the environment requires a clear

definition and enforcement of individual rights in resources like land, water, air, and wildlife. Free markets and property rights stimulate the technological innovations and behavioral changes required to protect our environment and ecosystems. We realize that our planet's climate is constantly changing, but environmental advocates and social pressure are the most effective means of

changing public behavior.

2.3 Energy and Resources

While energy is needed to fuel a modern society, government should not be subsidizing any particular form of energy. We oppose all government control of energy pricing, allocation, and

production.

2.4 Government Finance and Spending

All persons are entitled to keep the fruits of their labor. We call for the repeal of the income tax, the

abolishment of the Internal Revenue Service and all federal programs and services not required

under the U.S. Constitution. We oppose any legal requirements forcing employers to serve as tax

collectors. Government should not incur debt, which burdens future generations without their

consent. We support the passage of a "Balanced Budget Amendment" to the U.S. Constitution,

provided that the budget is balanced exclusively by cutting expenditures, and not by raising taxes.

2.5 Money and Financial Markets

 

We favor free-market banking, with unrestricted competition among banks and depository

institutions of all types. Individuals engaged in voluntary exchange should be free to use as money

any mutually agreeable commodity or item. We support a halt to inflationary monetary policies and

unconstitutional legal tender laws.

2.6 Monopolies and Corporations

 

We defend the right of individuals to form corporations, cooperatives and other types of  companies based on voluntary association. We seek to divest government of all functions that can be provided

by non-governmental organizations or private individuals. We oppose government subsidies to

business, labor, or any other special interest. Industries should be governed by free markets.

2.7 Labor Markets

We support repeal of all laws which impede the ability of any person to find employment. We

oppose government-fostered forced retirement. We support the right of free persons to associate or

not associate in labor unions, and an employer should have the right to recognize or refuse to

recognize a union. We oppose government interference in bargaining, such as compulsory

arbitration or imposing an obligation to bargain.

2.8 Education

 

Education is best provided by the free market, achieving greater quality, accountability and

efficiency with more diversity of choice. Recognizing that the education of children is a parental

responsibility, we would restore authority to parents to determine the education of their children,

without interference from government. Parents should have control of and responsibility for all

funds expended for their children's education.

2.9 Health Care

We favor restoring and reviving a free market health care system. We recognize the freedom of

individuals to determine the level of health insurance they want (if any), the level of health care

they want, the care providers they want, the medicines and treatments they will use and all other

aspects of their medical care, including end-of-life decisions. People should be free to purchase

health insurance across state lines.

2.10 Retirement and Income Security

 

Retirement planning is the responsibility of the individual, not the government. Libertarians would

phase out the current government-sponsored Social Security system and transition to a private

voluntary system. The proper and most effective source of help for the poor is the voluntary efforts

of private groups and individuals. We believe members of society will become more charitable and

civil society will be strengthened as government reduces its activity in this realm.

3.0 SECURING LIBERTY

The protection of individual rights is the only proper purpose of government. Government is

constitutionally limited so as to prevent the infringement of individual rights by the government

itself. The principle of non-initiation of force should guide the relationships between governments.

3.1 National Defense

 

We support the maintenance of a sufficient military to defend the United States against aggression.

The United States should both avoid entangling alliances and abandon its attempts to act as

policeman for the world. We oppose any form of compulsory national service.

3.2 Internal Security and Individual Rights

The defense of the country requires that we have adequate intelligence to detect and to counter

threats to domestic security. This requirement must not take priority over maintaining the civil

liberties of our citizens. The Constitution and Bill of Rights shall not be suspended even during time

of war. Intelligence agencies that legitimately seek to preserve the security of the nation must be

subject to oversight and transparency. We oppose the government's use of secret classifications to

keep from the public information that it should have, especially that which shows that the government has violated the law.

3.3 International Affairs

American foreign policy should seek an America at peace with the world. Our foreign policy should

emphasize defense against attack from abroad and enhance the likelihood of peace by avoiding

foreign entanglements. We would end the current U.S. government policy of foreign intervention,

including military and economic aid. We recognize the right of all people to resist tyranny and

defend themselves and their rights. We condemn the use of force, and especially the use of

terrorism, against the innocent, regardless of whether such acts are committed by governments or by

political or revolutionary groups.

3.4 Free Trade and Migration

 

We support the removal of governmental impediments to free trade. Political freedom and escape from tyranny demand that individuals not be unreasonably constrained by government in the crossing of political boundaries. Economic freedom demands the unrestricted movement of human as well as financial capital across national borders. However, we support control over the entry into our country of foreign nationals who pose a credible threat to security, health or property.

3.5 Rights and Discrimination

Libertarians embrace the concept that all people are born with certain inherent rights. We reject the

idea that a natural right can ever impose an obligation upon others to fulfill that "right." We

condemn bigotry as irrational and repugnant. Government should neither deny nor abridge any

individual's human right based upon sex, wealth, ethnicity, creed, age, national origin, personal

habits, political preference or sexual orientation. Parents, or other guardians, have the right to raise

their children according to their own standards and beliefs. This statement shall not be construed to

condone child abuse or neglect.

3.6 Representative Government

We support election systems that are more representative of the electorate at the federal, state and

local levels. As private voluntary groups, political parties should be allowed to establish their own

rules for nomination procedures, primaries and conventions. We call for an end to any tax-financed

subsidies to candidates or parties and the repeal of all laws which restrict voluntary financing of

election campaigns. We oppose laws that effectively exclude alternative candidates and parties,

deny ballot access, gerrymander districts, or deny the voters their right to consider all legitimate

alternatives. We advocate initiative, referendum, recall and repeal when used as popular checks on

government.

3.7 Self-Determination

Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of individual liberty, it is the right of the

people to alter or to abolish it, and to agree to such new governance as to them shall seem most likely to protect their liberty.

4.0 OMISSIONS

 

Our silence about any other particular government law, regulation, ordinance, directive, edict, control, regulatory agency, activity, or machination should not be construed to imply approval.