There are only a handful of different parties that play a significant role in the upcoming election. One of those parties is Libertarian, but you may be wondering, what is a Libertarian? Where did they come from? And most importantly, what do they stand for?

So what is the Libertarian party?

The Libertarian party stands for freedom of one’s self; they emphasize the rights that an individual has to govern themselves so long as they do not infringe on the rights of another.

Where did they come from?

Libertarianism can be traced back to the 17th century from the writings of John Locke and a political movement during the English Civil War. In the 18th century, more modern liberal views began to emerge and as the Libertarian party began to form they looked to influencers like Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense, and Thomas Jefferson. Libertarianism emerged as a stronger influence in America in the 20th century after individualist anarchism had passed. John Hospers was the first official Libertarian candidate to run for office in the United States in 1972. According to the U.S. census, approximately 10-20% of voting age Americans consider themselves to have “fiscally conservative and socially liberal, or libertarian views”.

What do they stand for?

Values:

• Self-Ownership
• Freedom of Expression
  • Oppose Government Censorship
• Individual Privacy
  • Government Transparency
• Freedom of sexual orientation, preference, gender, or gender identity
  • No government restriction on marriage, bathrooms, etc.
• Pro-Choice
• Right of a parent to raise their child according to their own standards or beliefs
• Oppose the death penalty
• Pro-Guns
• Right to control and enjoy one’s property, so long as their choices do not harm or infringe on the rights of others
• No government subsidization of energy
• Anti-Income Tax
• Support Free-Market Banking
• Education of a child is the right of a parent without government involvement
• Free-Market Healthcare
• Support Maintenance of a Sufficient Military
  • Defense over Offense
• Internationally Peaceful
• Right of the people to abolish or alter a government that becomes destructive of an individual’s personal freedoms