What is Libertarianism?
Libertarianism puts individual liberty first. Each person owns his or her own life and body, and may act as he or she wishes as long as others are not harmed. Libertarians therefore want a much smaller government. They oppose most taxes beyond a minimum, most business regulation, and laws against peaceful private choices, such as drug use. In their view, voluntary exchange and free association produce more prosperity and fairness than compulsion from the state. They do not agree on how small a state should be, or whether it should exist at all.
Core beliefs
- Every person has a right to life, liberty and property.
- Force is only justified in defence against force or fraud.
- Voluntary trade between adults benefits both sides.
- Taxation beyond basic protection is a form of coercion.
- Adults should be free to make their own choices, even risky or unpopular ones.
- Governments tend to grow, waste money and abuse power.
History
The roots lie in classical liberal thinkers, such as John Locke and Adam Smith, and in nineteenth century writers like Herbert Spencer. The word libertarian was taken up in the United States in the mid twentieth century by people who felt that liberal had lost its original meaning. Friedrich Hayek and Ludwig von Mises argued against central planning, and Milton Friedman made the case for free markets and school choice. Ayn Rand promoted individualism in her novels. Murray Rothbard developed a theory in which the state could be replaced by private institutions. Robert Nozick answered with his 1974 book Anarchy, State, and Utopia, which defended a minimal state. The Libertarian Party was founded in the United States in 1971.
Variants
Minarchists accept a minimal state for police, courts and defence. Anarcho-capitalists, such as Rothbard, want even those to be provided privately. Classical liberals in the Hayek tradition accept some state roles. Left libertarians stress equal claims to natural resources and often oppose large corporations. Consequentialist libertarians defend freedom because it produces good results, while natural rights libertarians treat it as a moral principle. Libertarians also differ on immigration, foreign policy and how to treat children and animals.
Criticisms
Critics on the left say that libertarianism ignores unequal starting points, and that without public provision the poor, the sick and the disabled would suffer. Economists point to market failures such as pollution and monopoly, and to public goods that private firms rarely supply. Conservatives say it undervalues community, family and shared moral standards. Others argue that private wealth can be as coercive as government, since employers and landlords hold power over people. Supporters answer that charity, competition and rules against fraud handle many of these problems better than the state does.
In practice
No country is run on strict libertarian lines, but libertarian ideas have shaped policies such as tax cuts, deregulation, school choice and drug law reform. Libertarian parties have had little electoral success, but think tanks and economists have been influential. On the 12 axes it scores at the top toward Private on Ownership, Free on Markets and Self-reliant on Welfare, and very strongly toward Democratic on Authority, toward Liberty on Security and toward Local on Structure. It scores strongly toward Global on Trade.