Is Libertarianism Right For Me?


The Libertarian Party caught a lot of attention this past election cycle. In a year with two unpopular presidential candidates, voters were looking for an alternative. In fact, Google searches for the Libertarian Party surged in the wake of the news that Ted Cruz, a serious political contender for the Republican Party, suspended his campaign -- thus leaving Donald Trump as the Republican frontrunner.  
This is where Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson came in. Voters rallied for him to break the two-party system in an election that was already filled with drama and controversy among both Democratic and Republican candidates. By the end of the election cycle, Johnson earned a reported 3.3% of all votes (about 4,488,919 votes to be exact) and become the most successful candidate to run a presidential campaign for the Libertarian Party in decades.  
What is Libertarianism?
According to the official Libertarian Party website, Libertarians strongly oppose any government interference in their personal, family, and business decisions. Libertarians believe the only role government should have is to protect people from force and fraud. Libertarians seek to eliminate taxes at every opportunity and believe all Americans should be free to live their lives and pursue their interests as they see fit as long as they do no harm to others. They are neither liberal or conservative and come from a variety of political and ethnic backgrounds.

If you’re familiar with the sitcom “Parks and Recreation,” this is an accurate description of the views of TV’s most famous Libertarian, Ron Swanson.

Now that you have a general background of libertarianism and the Libertarian Party, how do you know if this is right for you? Below is a small excerpt of Libertarian views on common issues.

Freedom of Choice
People should have the freedom to make choices for themselves, and rightfully so, people must accept responsibility for the consequences their choices. The government should not initiate force against anyone.
Ownership
People own their bodies, and what people do with their bodies should be up to themselves, not the government. Emulating the freedom of choice, people should have the freedom and responsibility to decide what they knowingly and voluntarily consume, and what risks they accept to their own health, finances, safety, or life.
Individual Privacy
Libertarians advocate individual privacy and government transparency. They support the rights recognized by the Fourth Amendment:
“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
Personal Relationships
A person’s sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity shouldn’t have an impact on the government’s treatment of individuals for life choices such as marriage, child custody, adoption, immigration or military service laws.

If you’re interested to find out more information about libertarianism and the Libertarian Party, visit https://www.lp.org/.

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