98-510: The Libertarian National Committee ( LNC ) controls and manages the affairs, properties, and funds of the United States Libertarian Party . It is composed of the party officers, five at-large representatives elected every two years at the national convention, and a theoretical maximum of 10 regional representatives. The current chair is Angela McArdle , first elected at the 2022 Libertarian National Convention and re-elected at
196-513: A Constitutional amendment proposal that would require a balanced budget over the business cycle with a ten-year transition to balance. That same year, he was one of four House Republicans who joined 161 Democrats to oppose an alternative balanced budget resolution without a federal spending cap. Amash has criticized the Environmental Protection Agency , arguing that many environmental regulations are too strict. He voted for
294-450: A D.C. Statehood bill. In July 2019, Amash cosponsored Representative Ayanna Pressley 's bill that would abolish the death penalty at the federal level. On February 26, 2020, he was one of four representatives who voted against the Justice for Victims of Lynching Act , which recognized lynching as a federal hate crime , stating that it would expand the use of the death penalty and that
392-416: A " big tent " that would welcome more ideologically diverse groups of people interested in reducing the size and scope of government. Consequently, the 1974 platform included a "Statement of Principles" which focused on statements arguing for getting government out of various activities, and used phrases such as "where governments exist they must not violate the rights of any individual." The previous version of
490-541: A "disgusting, despicable smear campaign." As Conor Friedersdorf of The Atlantic notes, "Amash voted against the reauthorization of the Patriot Act , favored a measure to repeal indefinite detention , and opposed reauthorization of the FISA Amendments Act ." In the general election, Amash won reelection against Democratic nominee Bob Goodrich. In 2011, Amash endorsed Representative Ron Paul 's campaign for
588-524: A 7/8ths supermajority of delegates is required to change the Statement of Principles. Any proposed platform plank found by the Judicial Committee to conflict with the Statement requires approval by a three-fourths supermajority of delegates. Early platform debates included at the second convention whether to support tax resistance and at the 1974 convention whether to support anarchism . In both cases,
686-458: A Harsh Mistress , sometimes dubbed "a manifesto for a libertarian revolution". The slogan of the party has since become "The Party of Principle". Also in 1972, the "Libersign"—an arrow angling upward through the abbreviation "TANSTAAFL"—was adopted as a party symbol. By the end of the decade, this was replaced with the Lady Liberty until 2015, with the adoption of the "Torch Eagle" logo. In
784-454: A Libertarian Party convention. The first Libertarian presidential candidate, John Hospers , received one electoral vote in 1972 when Roger MacBride , a Virginia Republican faithless elector pledged to Richard Nixon , cast his ballot for the Libertarian ticket. His vote for Theodora ("Tonie") Nathan as vice president was the first electoral college vote ever to be cast for a woman in
882-461: A Libertarian, depending on the state's election laws. The preamble outlines the party's goals: "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. [...] 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". Its Statement of Principles begins: "We,
980-422: A Republican. On February 29, 2024, he formally announced his entry into the race. On August 6, 2024, Amash lost the primary election to former U.S. Representative Mike Rogers. He received 15.7% of the vote, a distant second. Amash has described himself as a libertarian , dissenting from both Republican and Democratic leadership more frequently than the vast majority of Republican members of Congress. Amash
1078-558: A United States presidential election. MacBride became the Libertarian presidential nominee himself in 1976. This was the last time that the Libertarian Party won an electoral vote until 44 years later, in the 2016 presidential election, when Texas Republican faithless elector Bill Greene, who was pledged to cast his vote for Donald Trump , instead cast his vote for Libertarian Party member, 1988 presidential nominee, and former Republican representative Ron Paul for president. During
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#17328515428181176-560: A bill to block the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from financing its Cannabis Eradication Program through civil asset forfeiture . Amash took aim at asset forfeiture in a statement, saying the practice allows "innocent people to have their property taken without sufficient due process ". In December 2020, Amash introduced a bill titled the Civil Asset Forfeiture Elimination Act to abolish
1274-468: A company his father founded and owns. He worked for his family's business for a year before being elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2008. Amash's two brothers also have positions at Michigan Industrial Tools. Glenn Steil Sr. , the incumbent state representative for Michigan's 72nd House District, was unable to run for reelection in the 2008 election due to term limits. Amash ran in
1372-496: A compromise was reached. The Libertarian Party has attracted influential politicians who attempt to sway the party's voting base. In May 2024, Donald Trump spoke at the Libertarian Party's convention in Washington D.C. with his speech focusing on libertarian issues such as his stances on anti-war policies, Bitcoin , and First and Second Amendment rights. This was the first time a current or former U.S. president had spoken at
1470-441: A governing committee, usually consisting of statewide officers elected by state party members and regional representation of one kind or another. Similarly, county, town, city and ward committees, where organized, generally consist of members elected at the local level. State and local committees often coordinate campaign activities within their jurisdiction, oversee local conventions and in some cases primaries or caucuses and may have
1568-422: A less powerful federal government , strong civil liberties (including LGBT rights , with the party supporting same-sex marriage ), the liberalization of drug laws , separation of church and state , open immigration , non-interventionism and neutrality in diplomatic relations, free trade and free movement to all foreign countries and a more representative republic. In 2018, the Libertarian Party became
1666-475: A life member of the Libertarian Party. Previously, the party has had four sitting members of state legislatures. Laura Ebke served in the nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature and announced her switch from being a Republican to a Libertarian in 2016. Three members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives who were elected as either Republicans or Democrats in the 2016 election announced their switch to
1764-453: A region. The Libertarian National Committee (LNC) is a 27-member body including alternates, or 17 voting members. Since the 2022 Libertarian National Convention , the chair has been Angela McArdle of Texas (McArdle had been a resident of California at the time of her election). The Libertarian Party is organized in all 50 states and the District of Columbia . Each state affiliate has
1862-428: A role in nominating candidates for elected office under state law. Since the Libertarian Party's inception, individuals have been able to join the party as voting members by signing their agreement with the organization's non-aggression pledge, which states that the signer does not advocate the initiation of force to achieve political or social goals. During the mid-1980s and into the early 1990s, this membership category
1960-546: A row. By the end of 2009, 146 Libertarians were holding elected offices. Tonie Nathan , running as the Libertarian Party's vice presidential candidate in the 1972 presidential election with John Hospers as the presidential candidate, was the first female candidate in the United States to receive an electoral vote. The 2012 election Libertarian Party presidential candidate, former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson and his running mate, former judge Jim Gray , received
2058-478: A set of principles. I follow the Constitution . And that's what I base my votes on. Limited government , economic freedom , and individual liberty ." Amash opposes abortion and federal funding for abortion. He describes himself as "100 percent pro-life" and in 2017 voted in favor of federal legislation to ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy . Amash voted "present", rather than "yes" or "no", on
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#17328515428182156-696: A single convention, making the Mises sweep illegal. The Mises-dominated Party quickly changed the bylaws after their sweep to amend this. After Mises-affiliated libertarians in Virginia reformed their branch of the party, seeking backing from the national party, the dissidents then formed a splinter group, the Virginia Classical Liberal Party . Additionally, the Libertarian Association of Massachusetts disaffiliated, however Mises hardliners formed
2254-861: A state legislature was Marshall Burt to the Wyoming House of Representatives in 2020. The party elected multiple legislators in New Hampshire during the 1990s as well as in Alaska during the 1980s. One of the party's Alaska state legislators, Andre Marrou was nominated for vice president in 1988 and for president in 1992. As of 2017, there were 168 Libertarians holding elected office: 58 of them partisan offices and 110 of them non-partisan offices. In addition, some party members, who were elected to public office on other party lines, explicitly retained their Libertarian Party membership and these include former Representative Ron Paul, who has repeatedly stated that he remains
2352-407: Is a real and "very important" issue, that he believes climate change is being driven at least in part by human activity and that "action with respect to climate change" should be taken. Amash opposes regulations to combat climate change , arguing that we should instead "use clean technologies and to invent new technologies that will keep our environment clean." He opposed Obama's decision to sign
2450-603: Is an American lawyer and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Michigan's 3rd congressional district from 2011 to 2021. He was the second Palestinian American and Syrian American member of Congress. Originally a Republican , Amash became an independent in 2019. He joined the Libertarian Party the following year, leaving Congress in January 2021 as the only Libertarian to serve in Congress. Amash returned to
2548-409: Is passed. Amash notes that campaign finance poses significant challenges, but states, "I don’t know how to resolve it because I’m a big believer in free speech." In November 2011, he was one of nine representatives who voted against a House resolution that affirmed In God We Trust as the official motto of the United States and was the only Republican to do so. On February 13, 2013, he voted against
2646-631: The Detroit Free Press . Justin Amash was born on April 18, 1980, in Grand Rapids, Michigan . He is the second of three sons born to Arab Christian parents who had immigrated to the United States. His father, Attallah Amash, is a Palestinian Christian whose family lived in Ramla until they were forcibly expelled by Israeli soldiers during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War . Attallah and his family immigrated to
2744-521: The 2006 Libertarian National Convention delegates deleted a large portion of the very detailed platform. The phrase "Government exists to protect the rights of every individual including life, liberty and property" was added. This development was described as the "Portland Massacre" by its opponents. Some took this as meaning the Dallas Accord was dead. Whether the Dallas Accord remains in effect, and if so whether it should, or what limits it places on
2842-580: The 2016 presidential election , Gary Johnson and vice presidential candidate Bill Weld received a record percentage of 3.3% of the popular vote (4,489,233 votes), getting 9.3% in New Mexico , where Johnson had previously been elected governor. In the 2012 presidential election , Johnson and running mate Jim Gray received 1,275,821 votes (1.0%). Source: Historically, Libertarians have achieved 50-state ballot access for their presidential candidate five times: in 1980, 1992, 1996, (in 2000, L. Neil Smith
2940-459: The 2024 Libertarian National Convention . The LNC has lobbied or filed lawsuits against laws and regulations that restrict contributions to parties and candidates. United States Libertarian Party [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Libertarian Party ( LP ) is a libertarian or classical liberal political party in the United States that promotes civil liberties , non-interventionism , laissez-faire capitalism , and limiting
3038-596: The 72nd district in the Michigan House of Representatives for one term before being elected to Congress in 2010 . He was the founder and chairperson of the Liberty Caucus and was a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus , which he left in June 2019. Amash received national attention when he became the first Republican congressman to call for the impeachment of Donald Trump , a position he maintained after leaving
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3136-470: The Conservative Party of New York (the other largest minor parties at the time) continued to decline. In 1994, over 40 Libertarians were elected or appointed which was a record for the party at that time. 1995 saw a soaring membership and voter registration for the party. In 1996, the Libertarian Party became the first third party to earn ballot status in all 50 states two presidential elections in
3234-580: The Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011 , which would have amended the Clean Air Act of 1963 to prohibit the EPA from regulating specified greenhouse gases as air pollutants . In a 2017 debate, Amash "exaggerated uncertainty around the basics of climate science"—specifically, the scientific consensus that carbon emissions cause climate change. But in a 2020 interview, Amash said that climate change
3332-619: The Flint water crisis , arguing that "the U.S. Constitution does not authorize the federal government to intervene in an intrastate matter like this one." He contended that "the State of Michigan should provide comprehensive assistance to the people of Flint" instead. Amash opposes political gerrymandering , saying in 2018 that he strongly supported adopting "an independent process for drawing districts" based on geographic considerations, so that districts would be "as compact and contiguous as possible." Amash
3430-619: The House Budget Committee on December 3, 2012, as part of a larger party leadership-caucus shift. He joined Representatives Tim Huelskamp and David Schweikert in a letter to Speaker of the House John Boehner , demanding to know why they had lost their committee positions. A spokesperson for Republican Congressman Lynn Westmoreland of Georgia said that Amash, Huelskamp, and Schweikert had been removed for "their inability to work with other members." Politico said that
3528-588: The Paris Agreement to combat climate change, voted against legislation to block Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, and voted for legislation "expressing the sense of Congress that a carbon tax would be detrimental to the United States economy." He opposes government subsidies for nuclear energy or any other form of energy production. Amash was the only representative from Michigan to oppose federal aid in response to
3626-558: The Republican presidential nomination . In 2015, he endorsed Senator Rand Paul 's campaign for the Republican presidential nomination and later endorsed Senator Ted Cruz after Paul dropped out. From 2011 to 2019, Amash missed only one of 5,374 roll call votes. In a July 4, 2019 op-ed , Amash announced that he was leaving the Republican Party and becoming an independent . In his op-ed, he said: We are fast approaching
3724-555: The U.S. Capitol in order to offer himself as a candidate, but did not receive any votes. In an interview with Reason , he said he would "Open up the process" for creating and passing legislation and criticized Speaker candidate Kevin McCarthy as someone who "cares only about power" rather than policy. In January 2024, Amash announced an exploratory committee to consider running in the 2024 United States Senate election in Michigan as
3822-535: The University of Michigan , graduating in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics with high honors. Amash then attended the University of Michigan Law School , graduating with a Juris Doctor in 2005. After graduating from law school, Amash spent less than a year as a lawyer at the Grand Rapids law firm Varnum LLP. He then became a consultant to Michigan Industrial Tools Inc. (also known as Tekton Inc.),
3920-673: The 1990s, several state Libertarian parties adopted the Liberty Penguin ("LP") as their official mascot. Another mascot is the Libertarian porcupine, an icon that was originally designed by Kevin Breen in March 2006 and inspired by the logo of the Free State Project (FSP). The Libertarian Party is democratically governed by its members, with state affiliate parties each holding annual or biennial conventions at which delegates are elected to attend
4018-480: The 2011 Full Year Continuing Appropriations Act, which provided for the cessation of federal funding to Planned Parenthood . Although he supports eliminating federal funding for Planned Parenthood, he abstained from defunding legislation, arguing that "legislation that names a specific private organization to defund (rather than all organizations that engage in a particular activity) is improper" and an "arguably unconstitutional" bill of attainder . In May 2012, Amash
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4116-467: The 2016 election, the party announced that it had achieved automatic ballot status in 37 or 38 states and the District of Columbia . In the Libertarian Party, some donors are not necessarily "members" because the party since its founding in 1972 has defined a "member" as being someone who agrees with the party's membership statement. The precise language of this statement is found in the party Bylaws. As of
4214-656: The COVID-19 pandemic that would make campaigning difficult. In May 2022, Amash spoke at the Libertarian Party National Convention . In November 2022, Amash tweeted that he would be willing to serve as a "nonpartisan" Speaker of the United States House of Representatives , receiving support from Colorado Governor Jared Polis . During the voting for the Speaker on January 4, 2023, Amash arrived at
4312-668: The House of Representatives, and the first independent in the House since Bernie Sanders of Vermont (who left the House in 2007 after being elected to the Senate); and one of three independents in the United States Congress, along with Sanders and Senator Angus King of Maine. In April 2020, Amash joined the Libertarian Party . In doing so, Amash became the first Libertarian member to serve in either house of Congress. In July 2020, Amash announced that he would not seek re-election to
4410-492: The House, saying that he would "miss" representing his constituency in Congress. On April 28, 2020, after months of speculation that he would enter the presidential race, Amash announced the formation of an exploratory committee to seek the Libertarian presidential nomination . On May 16, he withdrew his name from consideration for the Libertarian nomination, citing increased political polarization and economic effects of
4508-457: The Libertarian Party from the Republican Party in June 2017, the third to do so in 2017 and matching their 1992 and 2016 peaks of sitting Libertarian state legislators. In January 2018, sitting New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands Aubrey Dunn Jr. changed party affiliation from Republican to the Libertarian Party, becoming the first Libertarian statewide officeholder in history. In April 2020, Representative Justin Amash of Michigan became
4606-440: The Libertarian Party in 2017. State Senator Mark B. Madsen of Utah announced his switch from Republican to Libertarian in 2016, but also did not seek re-election that year. State Representative Max Abramson of New Hampshire switched from Republican to Libertarian before running as the party's gubernatorial candidate in 2016 instead of seeking re-election. State Representative John Moore of Nevada briefly switched parties, but he
4704-582: The Libertarian Party of Massachusetts, which the national party recognized as the official branch party in the state. The Mises Caucus also blocked the disaffiliation of the New Hampshire party. The Association of Liberty State Parties was officially formed on December 3, 2022 as a national party committee between the Massachusetts and New Mexico parties, and the Virginian splinters. The party's first goal
4802-628: The Libertarian Party officially censured him over his support of taxpayer stadium funding. Ebke was not up for re-election in 2016. New Hampshire Representative Caleb Q. Dyer changed party affiliation to the Libertarian Party from the Republican Party in February 2017. New Hampshire Representative Joseph Stallcop changed party affiliation to the Libertarian Party from the Democratic Party in May 2017. New Hampshire State Legislator Brandon Phinney joined with
4900-614: The Libertarian and Republican lines. In 2000, Steve Vaillancourt won election to the New Hampshire General Court running on the Libertarian ballot line. Rhode Island State Representative Daniel P. Gordon was expelled from the Republicans and joined the Libertarian Party in 2011. In July 2016 and June 2017, the Libertarians tied their 1992 peak of four legislators when four state legislators from four different states left
4998-532: The Libertarian party to form the Association of Liberty State Parties . The first Libertarian National Convention was held in June 1972. In 1978, Dick Randolph of Alaska became the first elected Libertarian state legislator . Following the 1980 federal elections, the Libertarian Party assumed the title of being the third-largest party for the first time after the American Independent Party and
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#17328515428185096-607: The Michigan congressional delegation. Amash has been outspoken about the American two-party system . In a 2020 interview, he argued that national politicians now focused on media perception of their party, whereas "the actual process of legislating is all but forgotten." Amash has called economists F. A. Hayek and Frédéric Bastiat his "biggest heroes" and political inspirations and has described himself as "Hayekian libertarian." When The New York Times asked him to explain his approach to voting on legislation, he replied, "I follow
5194-402: The Republican Party in 2024. A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan , Amash was born to Palestinian and Syrian Christian parents who had immigrated to the United States. After high school, he studied economics at the University of Michigan , graduated from the University of Michigan Law School , and briefly worked as a corporate lawyer and consultant before entering politics. Amash represented
5292-637: The Republican Party to join the Libertarian Party: Nevada Assemblyman John Moore in January, Nebraska Senator Laura Ebke (although the Nebraska Legislature is officially non-partisan) and New Hampshire Representative Max Abramson in May and Utah Senator Mark B. Madsen in July. In the 2016 election cycle, Madsen and Abramson did not run for re-election to their respective offices while Moore lost his race after
5390-577: The Republican primary and defeated four other candidates before defeating Democratic nominee Albert Abbasse in the general election. During his initial tenure in the State House, Amash sponsored five resolutions and twelve bills, none of which were passed. While in the State House, he began using his Twitter and Facebook pages to report his floor votes and explain his reasoning and had a government transparency page on his website that would allow people to view
5488-458: The Republican primary he defeated four other candidates and shortly before the general election he was named as one of Time magazine 's "40 under 40 – Rising Stars of U.S. Politics". During the campaign he advocated politics supported by the Tea Party movement and defeated Democratic nominee Patrick Miles Jr. in the general election. The House Republican Steering Committee removed Amash from
5586-400: The Statement of Principles adopted at the party's first convention in 1972, in contrast, affirmatively endorsed the minarchist perspective with statements such as "Since government has only one legitimate function, the protection of individual rights...." It was agreed that the topic of anarchism would not even be on the table for discussion until a limited government was achieved. During
5684-679: The United States in 1956 when he was 16 through the sponsorship of an American pastor in Muskegon, Michigan . Amash's mother, Mimi, is a Syrian Christian who met his father through family friends in Damascus , Syria, and the two married in 1974. Amash grew up in Kentwood, Michigan . He first attended Kelloggsville Christian School in Kentwood, then Grand Rapids Christian High School , from which he graduated in 1998 as class valedictorian . He then attended
5782-707: The acts criminalized by the bill are already illegal under federal law. Amash has supported efforts to decriminalize cannabis, including the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act in 2017 (which he cosponsored) and the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act in 2020. Both bills sought to legalize cannabis at the federal level by removing it from the Controlled Substances Act . In 2015, Amash and Representative Ted Lieu (D–CA) introduced
5880-518: The caucus. On July 4, 2019, he announced that he was leaving the Republican Party to become an independent. He officially announced his membership in the Libertarian Party in April 2020. Before leaving the GOP, Amash gained a reputation as a gadfly within the Republican Party; his staunchly libertarian and sometimes contrarian views resulted at times in disagreements with party leadership and other members of
5978-569: The end of 2017, there were 138,815 Americans who were on record as having signed the membership statement. A survey by David Kirby and David Boaz found a minimum of 14 percent of American voters to have libertarian-leaning views. There is another measure the party uses internally as well. Since its founding, the party has apportioned delegate seats to its national convention based on the number of members in each state who have paid minimum dues (with additional delegates given to state affiliates for good performance in winning more votes than normal for
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#17328515428186076-538: The first Libertarian member of Congress after leaving the Republican Party and spending time as an independent. In June 2020, Amash, with Ayanna Pressley of the Democratic Party, introduced the Ending Qualified Immunity Act in response to the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. The bill was the first to gain support of members from the Democratic, Republican and Libertarian parties in
6174-466: The first in the United States to call for the decriminalization of sex work . The party since 2022 has no official stance on abortion. Before this, the party's stance was ambiguous, supporting the prerogative of individual politicians and voters to vote their conscience, but de facto pro-choice since it called for government to stay out of the matter. The Statement of Principles was written by John Hospers . The Libertarian Party's bylaws specify that
6272-665: The first such win for the party since 2000. The first and only Libertarian in the United States Congress was Justin Amash , who joined the Libertarian Party in 2020 and left the U.S. House of Representatives in 2021 after choosing not to seek re-election . In 2022, the Mises Caucus (LPMC) became the dominant faction on the Libertarian National Committee , leading to internal conflicts and significant policy changes, such as regarding immigration and abortion . Some classical liberalism -minded dissidents split from
6370-575: The highest number of votes—more than 1.2 million—of any Libertarian presidential candidate at the time. He was renominated for president in 2016 , this time choosing former Massachusetts Governor William Weld as his running mate. Johnson/Weld shattered the Libertarian record for a presidential ticket, earning over 4.4 million votes. Both Johnson and Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein received significantly more news coverage in 2016 than third-party candidates usually get, with polls showing both candidates potentially increasing their support over
6468-417: The history of the United States Congress. The Dallas Accord is an implicit agreement that was made at the 1974 Libertarian National Convention as a compromise between the party's larger minarchist and smaller anarcho-capitalist factions by adopting a platform that explicitly did not say whether it was desirable for the state to exist. The purpose of this agreement was to make the Libertarian Party
6566-627: The last election, especially among younger voters. The Libertarian Party has had significant electoral success in the context of state legislatures and other local offices. Libertarians won four elections to the Alaska House of Representatives between 1978 and 1984 and another four to the New Hampshire General Court in 1992. Neil Randall, a Libertarian, won the election to the Vermont House of Representatives in 1998 running on both
6664-463: The last recorded number for an off-election year convention in 2006 being just 300 delegates. The 2022 convention by contrast saw over 1,000 delegates. After the takeover, non-Mises affiliated members walked out , criticizing the group for lacking in libertarian orthodoxy, as well as condemning several racist statements that members of the Caucus had made in the past. More ardent members of the party started to splinter, with Pennsylvania, that state with
6762-427: The members and salaries of his staff. On February 9, 2010, Amash announced that he would run for the Republican nomination for Michigan's third congressional district and the next day incumbent Representative Vern Ehlers announced that he would not seek reelection. During the primary campaign he was endorsed by Betsy and Dick DeVos , the Club for Growth , Representative Ron Paul , and FreedomWorks PAC . In
6860-591: The members of the Libertarian Party, challenge the cult of the omnipotent state and defend the rights of the individual". The Statement of Principles is foundational to the ideology of the party and was created specifically to bind the party to certain core principles with a high parliamentary burden for any amendment. The platform emphasizes individual liberty in personal and economic affairs, avoidance of "foreign entanglements" and military and economic intervention in other nations' affairs, and free trade and migration. The party opposes gun control measures that restrict
6958-587: The most elected Libertarian officeholders, seeing a hardliner Mises-affiliated member, Rob Cowburn being named chairman, resulting in dissidents splitting to form the Keystone Party of Pennsylvania . After the Mises-dominated Party adopted a so called "national divorce" as part of the party's official core platform, many of the state-level affiliated parties began to disassociate from the national Party or dissolve themselves altogether. The New Mexico state party also argued that according to LP bylaws, there can never be more than two executive positions overturned in
7056-417: The national party, with each state chapter maintaining its own membership rolls. Most rights to participate in the governance of the party are limited to "bylaws-sustaining members" who have either purchased a lifetime membership or donated at least $ 25 within the past year. Most state parties maintain separate membership, which may be tied to either payment of dues to the state party, or voter registration as
7154-518: The partisan loyalties and rhetoric that divide and dehumanize us. If we continue to take America for granted, we will lose it. On July 8, 2019, Amash formally submitted his resignation from the Party to Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy and House Republican Conference Leader Liz Cheney . In the process, he resigned his seat on the Committee on Oversight and Reform . Amash thus became the only independent in
7252-414: The party ranked third in voter registration nationally with 693,634 . Libertarians have had limited success in electing candidates at the state and local level. Since the party's creation, 10 Libertarians have been elected to state legislatures and some other state legislators have switched parties after being originally elected as Republicans or Democrats. The most recent Libertarian candidate elected to
7350-633: The party was prompted in part due to concerns about the Nixon administration 's wage and price controls, the Vietnam War , conscription , and the introduction of fiat money . The party generally supports a classical liberal platform, much different from the Democratic Party 's modern liberalism and progressivism and the Republican Party 's conservatism and right-wing populism . Gary Johnson ,
7448-563: The party's presidential nominee in 2012 and 2016 , claims that the Libertarian Party is more socially liberal than Democrats, and more fiscally conservative than Republicans. Its fiscal policy positions include lowering taxes and abolishing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), decreasing the national debt , allowing people to opt out of Social Security , and eliminating the welfare state , in part by utilizing private charities . Its social policy positions include ending
7546-438: The party's biennial national convention. National convention delegates vote on changes to the party's national platform and bylaws and elect officers and "at-large" representatives to the party's National Committee. The National Committee also has "regional representatives", some of whom are appointed by delegate caucuses at the national convention whereas others are appointed by the chairpersons of LP state affiliate chapters within
7644-399: The party's presidential candidate). This is the most-used number by party activists. As of December 2017, the Libertarian Party reported that there were 14,445 donating members. Historically, dues were $ 15 throughout the 1980s; in 1991, they were increased to $ 25. Between February 1, 2006, and the close of the 2006 Libertarian party convention on May 31, 2006, dues were set to $ 0. The latter
7742-650: The party's public statements or candidates, all remain disputed within the party. At the 2022 Libertarian National Convention , members of the Mises Caucus , a paleolibertarian group affiliated with the beliefs of Ron Paul successfully staged a takeover of the Party, with over two-thirds of delegates becoming members of the Caucus, shifting the party in a right-ward direction. The caucus successfully swept leadership positions, including electing Angela McArdle as chairwomen and Joshua Smith as vice-chairman. The 2022 convention had an unusually high number of delegates, with
7840-405: The party. Amash formed an exploratory committee to seek the Libertarian Party presidential nomination in the 2020 election , before announcing in May of that year that he would not run for president. He did not seek reelection to Congress in 2020. Amash ran a candidacy for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate in Michigan , losing to former congressman Mike Rogers . He was endorsed by
7938-568: The point where Congress exists as little more than a formality to legitimize outcomes dictated by the president, the speaker of the House and the Senate majority leader... Most Americans are not rigidly partisan and do not feel well represented by either of the two major parties. In fact, the parties have become more partisan in part because they are catering to fewer people, as Americans are rejecting party affiliation in record numbers. No matter your circumstance, I’m asking you to join me in rejecting
8036-639: The practice nationwide. In June 2020, Amash and Pressley introduced the Ending Qualified Immunity Act which would remove from law enforcement officers, and other officials, the protection of qualified immunity that routinely protects them from civil lawsuits. In March 2010, Amash was the only member of the Michigan House of Representatives to vote against making benzylpiperazine a schedule I drug, saying that penalties for nonviolent crimes shouldn't be increased. Amash opposes government bailouts and tax increases. In 2011, Amash introduced H.J. Res. 81,
8134-411: The prohibition of illegal drugs , advocating criminal justice reform , supporting same-sex marriage , ending capital punishment , and supporting the right to keep and bear arms . As of May 2024, it is the third-largest political party in the United States by voter registration. In the 2020 election , the Libertarians gained a state legislative seat in the Wyoming House of Representatives ,
8232-839: The rights of civilians to keep and bear arms. It calls for Constitutional limitations on government as well as the elimination of most state functions. It includes a "Self-determination" section which quotes from the Declaration of Independence and reads: "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". It also includes an "Omissions" section which reads: "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". The party favors minimally regulated markets,
8330-572: The size and scope of government . The world's first explicitly libertarian party, it was conceived in August 1971 at meetings in the home of David F. Nolan in Westminster, Colorado , and was officially formed on December 11, 1971, in Colorado Springs . The organizers of the party drew inspiration from the works and ideas of the prominent Austrian school economist Murray Rothbard . The founding of
8428-617: The swamp to drain @realDonaldTrump" and criticizing House leadership for attempting to "ram it through." Nevertheless, Amash voted for the updated AHCA plan before the Congressional Budget Office could determine its impact or cost. Amash has pointed to structural problems in how Congress operates. He believes that many members have put "party above principles," in both the Democratic and Republican parties. He notes that many in Congress lack an understanding of parliamentary procedure, allowing leadership to dictate what legislation
8526-561: The three were "the first members pulled off committees as punishment for political or personality reasons in nearly two decades". Following the retirement of Senator Carl Levin it was speculated that Amash would run in the 2014 Senate election and Senator Mike Lee encouraged him to run, but Amash chose to run for reelection to the House. Amash was endorsed by the fiscally conservative Club for Growth PAC, which spent over $ 500,000 supporting Amash in his Republican primary against former East Grand Rapids School Trustee Brian Ellis, who
8624-573: The vote in a two-way race in Arkansas , the highest percentage ever for a Libertarian candidate in a Senate election. In 2016 , Joe Miller received 29% of the vote in a four-way race in Alaska . In 2002 , Michael Cloud received 18% of the vote in a three-way race in Massachusetts . In 2018 , Gary Johnson received 15% of the vote in a three-way race in New Mexico . In 2012 , Joel Balam received 32% of
8722-666: The vote in a two-way race in Kansas's 3rd congressional district , the best ever for a Libertarian candidate in a House election. In 2022 , Mike Kolls received 31% of the vote in a two-way race in Texas's 26th congressional district . In 1998 , William Chipman received 28% of the vote in a two-way race in Mississippi's 2nd congressional district . Justin Amash Justin A. Amash ( / ə ˈ m ɑː ʃ / ə- MAHSH ; born April 18, 1980)
8820-451: Was called an "instant" membership, but these are referred to as "signature members". People joining the party are also asked to pay dues, which are on a sliding scale starting at $ 25 per year. Lifetime membership is granted with a $ 1,500 donation in one calendar year. Dues-paying members receive a subscription to the party's national newspaper, LP News . Since 2006, membership in the party's state affiliates has been separate from membership in
8918-638: Was controversial and de facto reversed by the 2006 Libertarian National Convention in Portland, Oregon , at which the members re-established a basic $ 25 dues category (now called Sustaining membership) and further added a requirement that all National Committee officers must henceforth be at least sustaining members (which was not required prior to the convention). Ballot access expert and editor of Ballot Access News Richard Winger periodically compiles and analyzes voter registration statistics as reported by state voter agencies and he reports that as of early 2020
9016-509: Was defeated for re-election in 2016. Aubrey Dunn Jr. , the New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands , switched his voter registration from Republican to Libertarian in January 2018. In doing so, Dunn became the first official elected to a statewide partisan office to have Libertarian voter registration. Bold indicates race where Libertarian candidate was elected to office In 2020 , Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. received 33% of
9114-719: Was endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and spent more than $ 1 million of his own money on the race. After Amash defeated Ellis in the August primary, with 57% of the vote to Ellis's 43%, Amash was highly critical of Ellis and former Congressman Pete Hoekstra , who had backed Ellis. Of Hoekstra, Amash said, "You are a disgrace. And I'm glad we could hand you one more loss before you fade into total obscurity and irrelevance." Amash took exception to one of Ellis's television ads that quoted California Republican Congressman Devin Nunes calling Amash " Al Qaeda 's best friend in Congress"; he demanded an apology from Ellis for running what he called
9212-466: Was on the Arizona ballot instead of the nominee, Harry Browne) 2016, and have reached 50-state ballot access for the 2020 election. In April 2012, the Libertarian Party of Nebraska successfully lobbied for a reform in ballot access with the new law requiring parties to requalify every four years instead of two. Following the 2012 election, the party gained automatic ballot status in 30 states. Following
9310-545: Was one of seven Republicans to vote against the Prenatal Non-Discrimination Act, which would have made it a crime for a doctor to perform an abortion on a woman who wants to end a pregnancy based on the gender of the fetus. He criticized the bill as ineffective and virtually impossible to enforce, and said Congress "should not criminalize thought", while maintaining that he believes "all abortion should be illegal". On June 26, 2020, Amash voted against H.R. 51,
9408-465: Was regarded as one of the most libertarian members of Congress, receiving high scores from right-leaning interest groups such as the Club for Growth , Heritage Action , and Americans for Prosperity , and praise from limited-government think tanks and nonprofit organizations. He was a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus , a group of conservative Republicans in the House. In June 2019, Amash left
9506-647: Was the only Republican member of Michigan's congressional delegation who did not join a federal lawsuit challenging the state's political boundaries. On May 4, 2017, Amash voted in favor of repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and to pass a revised version of the American Health Care Act . Amash initially opposed the American Health Care Act, describing it as "Swampcare", tweeting that "It didn't take long for
9604-462: Was to organize a national convention for the nomination of candidates for President and Vice President of the United States, and to expand into more states. In 1972, "Libertarian Party" was chosen as the party's name, selected over "New Liberty Party". The first official slogan of the Libertarian Party was " There ain't no such thing as a free lunch " (abbreviated "TANSTAAFL"), a phrase popularized by Robert A. Heinlein in his 1966 novel The Moon Is
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