Libertarian Party
Party Chairman	Michael Dixon
Senate Leader	None
House Leader	None
Founded	1971
Headquarters	2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Suite 100 Washington, DC 20037
Political ideology	Libertarian
International affiliation	none
Color(s)	Blue (unofficial), Yellow (used occasionally to distinguish them from the Democratic Party)
Website	Libertarian Party

The Libertarian Party is a United States political party created in 1971. It claims to be the largest third party in the United States although others dispute this claim (see below for a full discussion of the issue). This is a copyrighted and/or trademarked logo. ... Michael Dixon is a libertarian political activist and the national chair of the U.S. Libertarian Party. ... 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... A compass rose with Northwest highlighted Northwest is the ordinal direction halfway between west and north on a compass. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... This article deals with the libertarianism as defined in America and several other nations. ... Blue (from Old High German blao shining) is one of the three primary additive colors; blue light has the shortest wavelength range (about 420-490 nm) of the three primary colors. ... Yellow is the color of light whose wavelength is between 565 nm and 590 nm. ... There are many political parties of diverse political orientation called the Democratic Party or similar. ... 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... In the context of the United States political system, a third party is any political party organized in at least some states, other than the two current leading parties, which since the time of the American Civil War have always been the Democratic and the Republican parties. ...

The stated platform of the Libertarian Party is consistent with some variations of the philosophy of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, social freedom including legalization of drugs, and strong civil liberties. This article deals with the individualist and propertarian meaning of libertarian (sometimes called right libertarianism). ... Laissez-faire is short for laissez faire, laissez passer, a French phrase meaning to let things alone, let them pass. First used by the eighteenth century Physiocrats as an injunction against government interference with trade, it is now used as a synonym for strict free market economics. ... ... Civil liberties are protections from the power of governments. ...

Platform

Key tenets of the Libertarian Party platform include the following:

• a mostly unregulated free market economy, including support of the right to keep and bear arms, opposition to drug prohibition (see also: drug legalization), and elimination of the state-supported social welfare system.
• strong civil liberties including free speech, freedom of association, sexual freedom, and
• a foreign policy of free trade and a reluctance to use military intervention.

Libertarians claim that their platform follows from the ultimate value of individual liberty. In their "Statement of Principles," they say "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." To this end, Libertarians want to reduce the size of government (eliminating many of its current functions entirely), and "support the repeal of all taxation".^[1] A free market is an idealized market, where all economic decisions and actions by individuals regarding transfer of money, goods, and services are voluntary, and are therefore devoid of coercion and theft (some definitions of coercion are inclusive of theft). Colloquially and loosely, a free market economy is an economy... The phrase Gun politics refers to the views of different people within a particular country as to what degree of control (increased gun rights vs. ... The prohibition of drugs through legislation or religious law is a common means of controlling the perceived negative consequences of recreational drug use at a society- or world-wide level. ... The prohibition of drugs through legislation or religious law is a common means of controlling the perceived negative consequences of recreational drug use at a society- or world-wide level. ... There are three main interpretations of the idea of a welfare state: the provision of welfare services by the state. ... Civil liberties are protections from the power of governments. ... Freedom of speech is the right to freely say what one pleases, as well as the related right to hear what others have stated. ... Freedom of association is a right granted under the constitution or interpretations thereof of several countries, or under certain international conventions pertaining to civil rights. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Foreign Policy is a bimonthly American magazine founded in 1970 by Samuel P. Huntington and Warren Demian Manshel. ... Free trade is an economic concept referring to the selling of products between countries without tariffs or other trade barriers. ...

Many Americans view politics on a spectrum between left and right, with the Democrats representing the center-left, and Republicans representing the center-right. Libertarians reject this description of political positions; instead, Libertarians refer people to the Nolan chart to communicate their perception of the political spectrum. Leftism can refer to: Left-wing politics An album by Leftfield ... In politics, right-wing, the political right, or simply the Right, are terms which refer, with no particular precision, to the segment of the political spectrum in opposition to left-wing politics. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... Nolans original chart The Nolan chart is a political diagram created by the Libertarian David Nolan. ...

Many political commentators seem unable to agree on how to classify the Libertarian Party. Prominent conservative author Ann Coulter accused the Libertarians of being a single-issue party because she disagrees with them on the Drug War, while others accuse Libertarians of focusing predominantly on issues of market regulation. Ann Coulter on the cover of TIME in April 2005. ... The prohibition of drugs through legislation or religious law is a common means of controlling the perceived negative consequences of recreational drug use at a society- or world-wide level. ...

Within the framework of libertarian politics, the Libertarian Party's platform falls roughly in the realm of free market minarchism. The party advocates limiting the government as much as possible, within the confines of the United States Constitution. As in any political party, there is some internal disagreement about the platform, and not all the party's supporters advocate its complete or immediate implementation, but most think that the USA would benefit from most of the Libertarian Party's proposed changes. However, a few Libertarians are actually anarcho-capitalists who view minarchy as a first step towards the abolition of government. This article deals with the individualist and propertarian meaning of libertarian (sometimes called right libertarianism). ... A free market is an idealized market, where all economic decisions and actions by individuals regarding transfer of money, goods, and services are voluntary, and are therefore devoid of coercion and theft (some definitions of coercion are inclusive of theft). Colloquially and loosely, a free market economy is an economy... In civics, Minarchism, sometimes called minimal statism, is the view that government should be as small as possible. ... Page I of the Constitution of the United States of America Page II of the United States Constitution Page III of the United States Constitution Page IV of the United States Constitution The Syng inkstand, with which the Constitution was signed The Constitution of the United States is the supreme... A political party is a political organization that subscribes to a certain ideology and seeks to attain political power within a government. ... Anarcho-capitalism refers to an anti-statist philosophy that embraces capitalism as one of its foundational principles. ...

History

The Libertarian Party was formed in the home of David Nolan on 11 December 1971, after several months of debate among members of the Committee to Form a Libertarian Party. This group included John Hospers, Edward Crane, Manual Klausner, Murray Rothbard, R.A. Childs, Theodora Nathan, and Jim Dean. Prompted in part by price controls implemented by President Richard Nixon, the Libertarian Party viewed the dominant Republican and Democratic parties as having diverged from what they viewed as the libertarian principles of the American founding fathers. David Nolan founded the Libertarian Party in 1971. ... December 11 is the 345th day (346th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... John Hospers (born 9 June 1918) was the first presidential candidate of the United States Libertarian Party, running in the 1972 presidential election. ... Edward H. Crane is the founder and president of the Cato Institute. ... Murray Newton Rothbard Murray Newton Rothbard (March 2, 1926 - January 7, 1995) was an American economist and political theorist belonging to the Austrian School of Economics who helped define modern libertarianism and anarcho-capitalism. ... Roy Childs was born on 04. ... Theodora Nathalia Tonie Nathan (born 9 February 1923) is the first woman to have received an electoral vote in a U.S. presidential election. ... In economics, incomes policies are wage and price controls used to fight inflation. ... Order: 37th President Vice President: Spiro Agnew (1969–1973), Gerald R. Ford (1973–1974) Term of office: January 20, 1969 – August 9, 1974 Preceded by: Lyndon B. Johnson Succeeded by: Gerald R. Ford Date of birth: January 9, 1913 Place of birth: Yorba Linda, California Date of death: April 22... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... This article deals with the libertarianism as defined in America and several other nations. ... The Founding Fathers of the United States, also known to some Americans as the Fathers of Our Country, the Forefathers, Framers or the Founders are the men who signed the Declaration of Independence, United States Constitution or otherwise participated in the American Revolution as leaders of the Patriots. ...

By the 1972 presidential election, the party had grown to over 80 members and had attained ballot access in two states. Their presidential ticket, John Hospers and Theodora Nathan, earned fewer than 3,000 votes, but received the first and only electoral college vote for a Libertarian ticket, from Roger MacBride of Virginia, who was pledged to Richard Nixon. His was the first vote ever cast for a woman in the United States Electoral College. MacBride became the party's presidential nominee in the 1976 presidential election. Democratic nomination Democratic Candidates Shirley Chisholm, U.S. representative from New York Fred Harris, U.S. senator from Oklahoma Hubert Humphrey, U.S. senator from Minnesota, former vice president, and 1968 presidential nominee Henry Scoop Jackson, U.S. senator from Washington John Lindsay, mayor of New York City Eugene McCarthy... Ballot access rules regulate the conditions under which a candidate or political party is entitled to appear on voters ballots. ... John Hospers (born 9 June 1918) was the first presidential candidate of the United States Libertarian Party, running in the 1972 presidential election. ... Theodora Nathalia Tonie Nathan (born 9 February 1923) is the first woman to have received an electoral vote in a U.S. presidential election. ... An electoral college is a set of electors who are empowered as a deliberative body to elect someone to a particular office. ... Roger MacBride (6 August 1927 - 5 March 1995) was a U.S. lawyer, political figure, and television producer. ... State nickname: Old Dominion Other U.S. States Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Governor Mark R. Warner Official languages English Area 110,862 km² (35th)  - Land 102,642 km²  - Water 8,220 km² (7. ... Order: 37th President Vice President: Spiro Agnew (1969–1973), Gerald R. Ford (1973–1974) Term of office: January 20, 1969 – August 9, 1974 Preceded by: Lyndon B. Johnson Succeeded by: Gerald R. Ford Date of birth: January 9, 1913 Place of birth: Yorba Linda, California Date of death: April 22... Presidential electoral votes by state. ...

In the 1980 presidential contest, the Libertarian Party gained ballot access in every state, the first third party to accomplish this since the Socialist Party in 1916. The ticket of Ed Clark and David H. Koch spent several million dollars on this campaign and earned over one percent of the popular vote, the most successful Libertarian presidential campaign to date. Presidential electoral votes by state. ... In the context of the United States political system, a third party is any political party organized in at least some states, other than the two current leading parties, which since the time of the American Civil War have always been the Democratic and the Republican parties. ... The Socialist Party of America is a socialist political party in the United States. ... 1916 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January-February January 1 -The first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ... Ed Clark was the Libertarian candidate for President of the United States in the 1980 presidential election. ... Categories: People stubs | 1940 births | Forbes 400 | The Kochs | U.S. Libertarian Party vice presidential nominees | People from Kansas ...

On December 29, 1981, the first successful election in the continental United States of a Libertarian Party candidate in a partisan race occurred as Richard P. Siano, running against both a Republican and a Democrat, was elected to the office of Kingwood Township Committeeman in western Hunterdon County, New Jersey. He served a three year term of office.

In 1983, the party was divided by internal disputes; former party leaders Edward Crane and David Koch left the party, taking a great deal of support with them. In 1984, the party's presidential nominee, David Bergland, only obtained ballot access in 40 states and earned only one-quarter of one percent of the popular vote. 1983 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Edward H. Crane is the founder and president of the Cato Institute. ... Categories: People stubs | 1940 births | Forbes 400 | The Kochs | U.S. Libertarian Party vice presidential nominees | People from Kansas ... 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... David P. Bergland is an American libertarian activist. ...

A new strategy brought former Republican Congressman Ron Paul to the LP's presidential ticket in 1988; that year, the party regained ballot access in all 50 states. Andre Marrou, a Libertarian elected to the Alaska state legislature and Ron Paul's running mate in 1988, led the 1992 ticket. Investment adviser Harry Browne headed the 1996 and 2000 tickets; in all of these cases, the party's presidential nominee drew in between one third and one half of one percent of the popular vote. In 2000, a split between the Arizona chapter and the national party led to the placement of science-fiction author L. Neil Smith on the Presidential ballot in Arizona rather than Harry Browne. The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... Representative Ron Paul Ronald Ernest Paul, MD (born August 20, 1935) is a member of the United States House of Representatives from Texass 14th congressional district (map). ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Andre V. Marrou (born 4 December American political figure, affiliated with the United States Libertarian Party. ... State nickname: The Last Frontier, The Land of the Midnight Sun Other U.S. States Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Governor Frank Murkowski Official languages English Area 1,717,854 km² (1st)  - Land 1,481,347 km²  - Water 236,507 km² (13. ... 1992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Harry Browne Harry Browne (June 17, 1933 - ) is an American free-market Libertarian writer and investment analyst. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... 2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... State nickname: The Grand Canyon State, The Copper State Other U.S. States Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Governor Janet Napolitano Official languages English Only State Area 295,254 km² (6th)  - Land 294,312 km²  - Water 942 km² (0. ... L. Neil Smith (also known by his nickname El Neil or The Sage of the High Plains) is a libertarian science fiction author and political activist. ...

The 2004 election cycle saw the Libertarian Party's closest presidential nomination race to date. Three candidates -- gun-rights activist and software engineer Michael Badnarik, talk radio host Gary Nolan, and Hollywood producer Aaron Russo -- all came within two percent of each other on the first two ballots at the 2004 national convention in Atlanta. Badnarik was chosen as the party's presidential nominee on the third ballot after Nolan was eliminated, a comeback many saw as surprising, as Badnarik had not been viewed as a frontrunner for the nomination — the majority of delegates were won over during the convention itself, due to Badnarik's perceived strength in the debates compared to Russo and Nolan. Badnarik's results were similar to the 2000 results of Harry Browne. He received very nearly as many votes as independent candidate Ralph Nader. Badnarik accepting the presidential nomination in May 2004 at the Libertarian National Convention in Atlanta. ... Gary Nolan can refer to different people: Gary Nolan: a baseball player Gary Nolan: a radio host This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Aaron Russo is an American entertainment businessman and political figure. ... City nickname(s): The A-T-L, The Horizon City, The Capital of the South, The Phoenix City, The City Too Busy to Hate, Hotlanta, A-Town, The Big A, The New York of the South, The Big Peach County Fulton County, Georgia Area  - Total  - Water 343. ... Ralph Nader Ralph Nader (born February 27, 1934) is an activist attorney who opposes the power of large corporations and has worked for decades on environmental, consumer rights, and pro-democracy issues. ...

As of 2004, the Libertarian Party's national chair is Michael Dixon and its national director is Joe Seehusen. This year marked the official support of the Libertarian Party for Instant-Runoff Voting. Some LP members felt the Executive Committee endorsed it without appropriate study of other voting methods or the effects the adoption of this method would have on election outcomes for LP candidates. This move created division and dissent among those LP members who viewed the Executive Committee's action as demonstrating a lack of deliberation. There are LP members who support Approval voting and other alternative methods. 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Michael Dixon is a libertarian political activist and the national chair of the U.S. Libertarian Party. ... When the single transferable vote voting system is applied to a single-winner election it is sometimes called instant-runoff voting (IRV), as it is much like holding a series of runoff elections in which the lowest polling candidate is eliminated in each round until someone receives majority vote. ... Approval voting is a voting system used for elections, in which each voter can vote for as many or as few candidates as the voter chooses. ...

Relationship to major parties

The Libertarian Party has substantial points of disagreement with both the Democratic and the Republican parties. However, the party has historically had more influence on and closer ties with the Republican Party. For example, former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich claimed to be influenced by Libertarian principles, and was praised by many Libertarians for attempting to shrink government. Analysts within the American right have used the language and social critiques of Libertarians with regard to market deregulation (for example, the frequent citing of studies by the Cato Institute). The 1988 Libertarian Party Presidential Candidate Ron Paul serves as a Republican Congressman from Texas, and is also a member of the Republican Liberty Caucus, a group of libertarian-minded members of that party. The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... Dennis Hastert of Illinois, the current Speaker of the House (since January 6, 1999) The Speaker of the House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. ... Newt Gingrich Newton Leroy Gingrich (born June 17, 1943) is an American politician who is best known as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. ... The Cato Institute is a non-profit public policy research foundation (think tank) with strong libertarian leanings (despite wide public perception that it is a conservative think-tank), headquartered in Washington, D.C. It is named after Catos Letters, a series of early 18th century British essays expounding the... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Representative Ron Paul Ronald Ernest Paul, MD (born August 20, 1935) is a member of the United States House of Representatives from Texass 14th congressional district (map). ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... A Congressman or Congresswoman (generically, Congressperson) is a politician who is a member of a Congress. ... State nickname: Lone Star State Other U.S. States Capital Austin Largest city Houston Governor Rick Perry Official languages None. ... The Republican Liberty Caucus is a political organization dedicated to electing and supporting what they call liberty-minded, limited-government individuals within the Republican Party. ...

Libertarian candidates have even occasionally thrown their support behind Republican contenders. In a 2002 South Dakota election for Senate, for example, Libertarian candidate Kurt Evans suspended his campaign a week before Election Day and urged voters to support Republican candidate John R. Thune. The Libertarian Party supported Republican efforts to impeach Bill Clinton, although for different reasons (citing several actions they deemed to be unconstitutional). In 1992, after incumbent Georgia Senator Wyche Fowler won a plurality but failed to achieve 50% and was forced into a runoff, the Libertarian candidate publicly threw his support to Paul D. Coverdell, who then won the election. State nickname: The Mount Rushmore State Other U.S. States Capital Pierre Largest city Sioux Falls Governor Mike Rounds Official languages English Area 199,905 km² (17th)  - Land 196,735 km²  - Water 3,173 km² (1. ... John Randolph Thune (born January 7, 1961) is one of the U.S. senators from the state of South Dakota. ... Order: 42nd President Vice President: Al Gore Term of office: January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001 Preceded by: George H. W. Bush Succeeded by: George W. Bush Date of birth: August 19, 1946 Place of birth: Hope, Arkansas First Lady: Hillary Rodham Clinton Political party: Democratic William Jefferson Clinton (born...

On the other hand, the Libertarian Party has also worked towards defeating some prominent Republicans, such as Bob Barr and George W. Bush. It opposes the Republican Party on some issues of civil liberties: for example, the Libertarian Party has sharply attacked the USA PATRIOT Act for its potential for infringements of civil rights. The party has also made the repeal of drug prohibition laws one of its priorities, a position that puts them at odds with both the Democratic and Republican Parties. George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is a politician and currently the 43rd President of the United States. ... President Bush signs USA PATRIOT Act, October 26, 2001 The USA PATRIOT Act (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001)1 (U.S. H.R. 3162, S. 1510, Public Law 107-56) is an act of federal legislation in the... The prohibition of drugs through legislation or religious law is a common means of controlling the perceived negative consequences of recreational drug use at a society- or world-wide level. ...

Size and influence

The Libertarian Party claims to currently be the largest third party in the United States, a nation which is overwhelmingly dominated by two major parties who typically capture more than 95% of the vote in partisan elections. Their claim is disputed by some, especially other third parties such as the Greens. There is no single objective, agreed-upon standard to compare the size of third parties, so what is presented here is a collection of various measures sometimes cited. In a two-party system a third party is a party other than the two dominant ones. ... In American politics, the Green Party is a third party which has been active in some areas since the 1980s, but first gained widespread public attention for Ralph Naders presidential runs in 1996 and 2000. ...

Libertarians point to the performance of their presidential candidates, who have often finished above most other permanently-organized third parties. In the 2004 election, Libertarian Michael Badnarik received more votes than all non-major party candidates except for Ralph Nader, who ran as an independent but accepted the endorsement and ballot lines of the mostly-defunct Reform Party; received more votes than all the other third party candidates combined, and three times as many as the next placed third party candidate (David Cobb). In 2000 and 1996, Libertarian Harry Browne was bested by both the Green Party and Reform Party nominees. The Libertarian candidate finished ahead of all other third party candidates in 1992, 1988, 1984, and 1980 (though it finished well behind independent candidates Ross Perot in 1992 and John Bayard Anderson in 1980). No other current third party has finished third in a presidential election more than once, nor have they received an electoral college vote, as the Libertarian candidate did in 1972 from a "faithless elector" pledged to Nixon and the Democratic Party.^[2] Libertarians have also achieved 50-state ballot access for their candidate four times (in 1980, 1992, 1996, and 2000), a feat no other third party has achieved more than once. Badnarik accepting the presidential nomination in May 2004 at the Libertarian National Convention in Atlanta. ... Ralph Nader Ralph Nader (born February 27, 1934) is an activist attorney who opposes the power of large corporations and has worked for decades on environmental, consumer rights, and pro-democracy issues. ... The Reform Party of the United States of America (abbreviated Reform Party USA or RPUSA) is a political party in the United States, founded by Ross Perot in 1995 under the belief that Americans were disillusioned with the state of politics--as being corrupt and unable to deal with vital... David Cobb David Keith Cobb (born 1963, San Leon, Texas) is an American lawyer and activist, and was the 2004 presidential candidate of the Green Party of the United States (GPUS). ... Harry Browne Harry Browne (June 17, 1933 - ) is an American free-market Libertarian writer and investment analyst. ... Henry Ross Perot (born June 27, 1930) is an American businessman billionaire from Texas best known as a candidate for President of the United States (in 1992 and 1996). ... 1992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... John Bayard Anderson (born February 15, 1922) was a U.S. Representative from Illinois and presidential candidate in the 1980 election. ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ...

In recent elections, Libertarians have run far more candidates for office, at all levels, than all other third parties combined. In the 2004 elections, there were 377 Libertarian candidates for state legislative seats, compared with 108 Constitution Party candidates, 94 Green Party candidates, and 11 Reform Party candidates. In the 2000 elections, the party ran about 1,430 candidates at the local, state, and federal level. More than 1,600 Libertarians ran for office in the 2002 mid-term election. Accordingly, their combined vote totals have far exceeded those of other parties: in the 2000, 2002, and 2004 elections, Libertarian candidates for state House of Representatives received more than a million votes -- more than twice the votes received by all other minor parties combined.

Libertarians have had mixed success in electing candidates at the state and local level (no third party is currently represented in the U.S. Congress, although Republican Ron Paul is a former Libertarian presidential candidate). Following the 2002 elections, more than 300 Libertarians held elected state and local offices; by comparison, in June 2005 at least 222 Greens hold elected office.^[3] Though twelve Libertarians have previously been elected to state legislatures, none hold that office currently, unlike the Greens (one in Maine), the Independence Party (one in Minnesota), the Progressive Party (six in Vermont), the Republican Moderate Party (one in Alaska), and the Working Families Party (one in New York). Some Libertarian candidates for state office have performed relatively strongly in statewide races. In two Massachusetts Senate races (2000 and 2002), Libertarian candidates Carla Howell and Michael Cloud, who did not face serious Republican contenders (in 2002, the candidate failed to make the ballot), won a record-setting 11.9% and 19%, respectively. In 2002, Ed Thompson, the brother of former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, won 11% running for the same office, resulting in a seat on the state elections board for the Libertarian Party, the only one for a third party in the U.S. Representative Ron Paul Ronald Ernest Paul, MD (born August 20, 1935) is a member of the United States House of Representatives from Texass 14th congressional district (map). ... In American politics, the Green Party is a third party which has been active in some areas since the 1980s, but first gained widespread public attention for Ralph Naders presidential runs in 1996 and 2000. ... State nickname: The Pine Tree State Other U.S. States Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Governor John Baldacci Official languages None Area 86,542 km² (39th)  - Land 80,005 km²  - Water 11,724 km² (13. ... The name Independence Party can refer to various political parties throughout the world Canada - Independence Party of British Colombia Faroe Islands - Independence Party (Sjálvstýrisflokkurin) Iceland - Independence Party (Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn) Morocco - Independence Party Puerto Rico - Puerto Rico Independence Party Taiwan - Taiwan Independence Party United Kingdom - United Kingdom Independence Party, Scottish Independence Party... State nickname: North Star State Other U.S. States Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Governor Tim Pawlenty Official languages None Area 225,365 km² (12th)  - Land 206,375 km²  - Water 18,990 km² (8. ... The Progressive Party of Vermont is perhaps the United States most consistently successful current minor party, although it is active in only one state. ... State nickname: The Green Mountain State Other U.S. States Capital Montpelier Largest city Burlington Governor Jim Douglas Official languages None Area 24,923 km² (45th)  - Land 23,974 km²  - Water 949 km² (3. ... The Republican Moderate Party, also known as the RMP, was formed in Alaska by Alaskans. ... State nickname: The Last Frontier, The Land of the Midnight Sun Other U.S. States Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Governor Frank Murkowski Official languages English Area 1,717,854 km² (1st)  - Land 1,481,347 km²  - Water 236,507 km² (13. ... The Working Families Party (WFP) is a left-wing-progressive minor political party in New York State. ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None (English is de facto) Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... State nickname: Bay State Other U.S. States Capital Boston Largest city Boston Governor Mitt Romney Official languages English Area 27,360 km² (44th)  - Land 20,317 km²  - Water 7,043 km² (25. ... Carla A. Howell (b. ... Michael Cloud was the Massachusetts Libertarian Party candidate for U.S. Senate in 2002. ... Ed Thompson was the United States Libertarian Party candidate for Governor of Wisconsin in 2002. ... One of the periods of glaciation was also termed the Wisconsin glaciation. ... For the Canadian artist, see Tom Thomson. ...

As of October 2004, the Libertarians ranked fifth in voter registration nationally. The Constitution Party ranked third with 367,521 registrants, next to the Greens' 312,963 and the Libertarians' 258,408. However, in the opinion of Richard Winger, the editor of Ballot Access News, of the 326,763 California voters affiliated with the Constitution Party, who are actually registrants of California's American Independent Party, nearly all registered in the belief that they were registering as independents i.e. not associating with any political party. Also, excluding New York (where Libertarians just recently won the right to register) and California (where the American Independent Party skews the results), Libertarians rank third in voter registration. The Libertarians ranked third in fifteen states, the Greens ranked third in eight states, the Constitution Party ranked third in two states, and the Reform Party ranked third in one state. (Only 27 states require voters to affiliate with a party. Some states don't allow voters to register with third parties.) October is the tenth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Constitution Party is a conservative third party in the United States, founded as the U.S. Taxpayers Party in 1992. ... In American politics, the Green Party is a third party which has been active in some areas since the 1980s, but first gained widespread public attention for Ralph Naders presidential runs in 1996 and 2000. ... Ballot Access News is a monthly newsletter [1] edited and published by Richard Winger of San Francisco, California. ... The Constitution Party is a conservative third party in the United States, founded as the U.S. Taxpayers Party in 1992. ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None (English is de facto) Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... California - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

Negative press

Some followers of libertarian philosophy call themselves "small-l libertarians" to distance themselves from the "big-L" Libertarian Party, which they believe suffers from the kinds of headlines generated by its members. For example, Stan Jones, a Libertarian senatorial candidate in Montana, turned his skin permanently blue by trying to protect himself from an imagined shortage of medicine.^[4] Libertarian former presidential candidate Irwin Schiff maintains that income tax is optional and voluntary, despite a United States Department of Justice ruling that he owes more than two million dollars (US) in taxes and penalties.^[5] Stan Jones was a candidate for the US in 2002 and he got argyria from eating silver because he was afraid of antibiotics. ... Irwin Schiff is the nations leading authority on income tax and how the government illegally collects it. ... The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is a Cabinet department in the United States government designed to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans. ...

The press has incorrectly labeled Democrat Lyndon Larouche as a Libertarian in articles about the controversy he generates.^[6] Mistakes such as this are problematic for any political party, but have a heavier impact on a smaller party which generally gets less press coverage overall. This article is a biographical article about LaRouche. ...

See also

• List of political parties in the United States
• Real World Libertarian Caucus

Political parties in the United States lists political parties in the United States. ... The Real World Libertarian Caucus is a caucus within the United States Libertarian Party. ...

External links

General

• US Libertarian Party web site
• LP candidate for U.S. president in 2004
• Criticisms of the Libertarian Party
• A list of Libertarian Party members in public office. (Approximately 60% were elected and 40% were appointed to office.)
• Prominent gay libertarians

Libertarians as "spoilers"

• Libertarian Party press release on 2002 elections
• Full text of Ron Crickenberger's fundraising letter during the 2002 Georgia Senate election

Notes

1. ^  National Platform of the Libertarian Party (May 2004). Taxation. Retrieved June 26, 2005.
2. ^  "Faithless Electors". 1972 entry. Retrieved June 26, 2005.
3. ^  Feinstein, Mike (June 2005). "Green Party members holding elected office in the United States". Retrieved June 26, 2005.
4. ^  No attributed author (October 3, 2002). "Senate candidate blue -- literally". CNN.com. Retrieved June 26, 2005.
5. ^  a. Pierce, Jason (May 30, 2002). "Proponent of 'Voluntary' Income Tax Sued for Millions". CNSNews.com. Retrieved June 26, 2005. b. Department of Justice (June 17, 2004). COURT RULES IRWIN SCHIFF OWES U.S. TREASURY OVER TWO MILLION DOLLARS. Press Release. Retrieved June 26, 2005.
6. ^  a. Dasbach, Steve (May 1994). "From the Chair: Building credibility". LP News. Retrieved June 26, 2005. b. "We've Got To Elect the Guy, First; And Then, We've Got To Train Him." October 19, 2004 interview by Herb Smith for WCIN (radio) in Cincinnati. Accessed on June 26, 2005.

Political Parties in the United States
Major parties: Democratic Party | Republican Party June 26 is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 188 days remaining. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... Download high resolution version (1520x800, 18 KB) Subject: Flag of the United States. ... A two-party system is a type of party system where only two political parties have a realistic chance of winning an election. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ...
Third parties: Constitution Party | Green Party | Libertarian Party | Reform Party In the context of the United States political system, a third party is any political party organized in at least some states, other than the two current leading parties, which since the time of the American Civil War have always been the Democratic and the Republican parties. ... The Constitution Party is a conservative third party in the United States, founded as the U.S. Taxpayers Party in 1992. ... In American politics, the Green Party is a third party which has been active in some areas since the 1980s, but first gained widespread public attention for Ralph Naders presidential runs in 1996 and 2000. ... The Reform Party of the United States of America (abbreviated Reform Party USA or RPUSA) is a political party in the United States, founded by Ross Perot in 1995 under the belief that Americans were disillusioned with the state of politics--as being corrupt and unable to deal with vital...