Libertarian Party
|
|
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Chairperson | Nicholas Sarwark (AZ) |
Founded | December 11, 1971 |
Headquarters | 1444 Duke St. Alexandria, Virginia 22314 |
Student wing | College Libertarians |
Membership (October 2016) | 499,492 |
Ideology |
Social Liberalism. Libertarianism Non-interventionism Fiscal conservatism Economic liberalism Cultural liberalism Laissez-faire |
International affiliation |
International Alliance of Libertarian Parties, Interlibertarians |
Colors | Gold |
Seats in the Senate |
0 / 100
|
Seats in the House |
0 / 435
|
Governorships |
0 / 50
|
State Upper House Seats |
1 / 1,972
|
State Lower House Seats |
1 / 5,411
|
Territorial Governorships |
0 / 6
|
Territorial Upper Chamber Seats |
0 / 97
|
Territorial Lower Chamber Seats |
0 / 91
|
Local elected offices | 143 (2017) |
Website | |
www.lp.org | |
The Libertarian Party (LP) is a Libertarian political party in the United States that promotes civil liberties, non-interventionism, laissez-faire capitalism and the abolition of the welfare state. It is the third largest political party in the United States.
The LP was conceived at meetings in the home of David F. Nolan in Westminster, Colorado in 1971 and was officially formed on December 11, 1971, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The founding of the party was prompted in part due to concerns about the Nixon administration, the Vietnam War, conscription, and the end of the gold standard.
The party generally promotes a classical liberal platform, in contrast to the Democrats' modern liberalism and progressivism and the Republicans' conservatism. Gary Johnson, the party's presidential nominee in 2012 and 2016, states that the LP is more culturally liberal than Democrats, but more fiscally conservative than Republicans.Current fiscal policy positions include lowering taxes, abolishing the IRS, decreasing the national debt, allowing people to opt out of Social Security, and eliminating the welfare state, in part by utilizing private charities. Current cultural policy positions include ending the prohibition of illegal drugs, supporting same-sex marriage, ending capital punishment, and supporting gun ownership rights. Many libertarians believe in lowering the drinking age to 18.