Moving Beyond the Libertarian Party

Many of you have poured your blood, sweat, and tears into the Libertarian Party. People with different perspectives and backgrounds came together for a greater cause — breaking up the two party system and being the messengers of libertarian values. Despite everything that has happened, never forget that you still have options. Just like the duopoly, you are not forced to choose between enduring abuse in the LP versus being politically homeless.

There are plenty of ways to work towards your goals, both within the electoral system and outside of it. One needn’t be attached to a specific political party to contribute towards such things. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being politically independent. You don’t owe your vote to anyone. You don’t even have to vote at all, if direct action is more your style. It all comes down to personal preference.

“Where do I go from here?” It’s a tough time for many of us, especially those who have devoted years of their lives to the Libertarian Party. For some, its been decades. Just like after leaving a long-term relationship, it hurts, but you will be able to move on. To dozens of ex-LPers, the party is like an abusive relationship, and one we must leave behind in order to pursue our own happiness.

Liberty-Minded Organizations

There are many PACs, nonprofits, and think tanks that exist in the sphere of libertarian organizations. Some of these may have duopoly affiliations, but there are always like-minded people trying to change things from the inside. There is a pretty comprehensive list here and the LP has their own list here. Whether your path lies in grassroots activism or think tanks, there are an abundance to choose from.

Libertarian Policy Institute — “The Libertarian Policy Institute exists to develop practical libertarian solutions to real world problems and to evangelize them to the world. We work with anyone who will help empower people to improve the world without coercion. We believe that working together with each other we can create a safe, secure, and prosperous society.”

Students for Liberty — “Students For Liberty is a rapidly growing network of pro-liberty students from all over the world. We are the largest libertarian student organization in the world.”

Cato Institute — “For more than 40 years, Cato has led the charge for liberty in our nation and around the world. The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization — or think tank — that creates a presence for and promotes libertarian ideas in policy debates. Our mission is to originate, disseminate, and advance solutions based on the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace.”

People for Liberty — “People for Liberty launched in May of 2020 in response to an unmet need and has developed into an exciting mixing ground for people, ideas, and candidates exploring the values of the liberty movement. Whether it be through our official non-profit organization or the political action committee, People for Liberty is dedicated to creating a warm and welcoming community for those seeking life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness with as little government interference as possible. If you seek the same, we hope you’ll explore if our values align with your own.”

Americans for Prosperity — “Our Mission: Americans for Prosperity is dedicated to the belief that every person has a unique set of gifts and the ability to contribute to society in their own way, an idea that has inspired progress since our country’s founding. Driven by this belief, Americans for Prosperity engages in broad-based grassroots outreach to advocate for long-term solutions to the country’s biggest problems that prevent people from realizing their incredible potential — unsustainable government spending and debt, a broken immigration system, a rigged economy, and a host of other issues you can explore.”

Feminists for Liberty — “Feminists for Liberty is anti-sexism and anti-statism, pro-markets and pro-choice — in everything. We are classically liberal, anti-carceral, and sex positive. We share many of the concerns of mainstream feminists, but believe the best means of creating change in society isn’t based on coercion, criminalization, censorship, or bigger government.”

Vermin Supreme Institute — “With humor, direct action, and mutual aid, we uplift the disenfranchised, and disempowered. You are the Power!” VSI has branches for education, activism, politics, and community empowerment.

Center for a Stateless Society — “The Center for a Stateless Society (C4SS) is an anarchist think-tank and media center. Its mission is to explain and defend the idea of vibrant social cooperation without aggression, oppression, or centralized authority. In particular, it seeks to enlarge public understanding and transform public perceptions of anarchism, while reshaping academic and movement debate, through the production and distribution of market anarchist media content, both scholarly and popular, the organization of events, and the development of networks and communities, and to serve, along with the Alliance of the Libertarian Left and the Molinari Institute, as an institutional home for left market anarchists.”

Institute for Justice — “About the Institute for Justice: IJ is a nonprofit, public interest law firm. Our mission is to end widespread abuses of government power and secure the constitutional rights that allow all Americans to pursue their dreams.”

Young Americans for Liberty — “Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) is the most active and effective pro-liberty youth organization advancing liberty on the campus and in American electoral politics. Our four-step mission is to identify, educate, train, and mobilize youth activists to make liberty win.”

If you’re thinking “Wow, a lot of these organizations end in the words ‘for liberty’’, you are absolutely correct. We love liberty, what can I say?

New Third Parties

Right now, society is aching for more choices. There are a number of emerging third parties that I want to highlight.

Forward Party — 2020 Presidential candidate, Andrew Yang, developed quite the base of supporters during his Presidential run. His party is heavily focused on electoral reforms such as Ranked Choice Voting.

Pirate Party — The Pirate Party has an international movement behind it. In other countries, Pirate Parties have demonstrated success by having a handful of elected officials. The name “Pirate” comes from the context of Internet Piracy, due to the party’s position on IP and copyright reformation.

Keystone Party — The Keystone Party is the immediate successor of the LPPA pre-takeover. It was started by several former board members of the LPPA, which was known for being one of the most successful Libertarian Party affiliates in the country. They support many pragmatic classical liberal ideas and solutions.

Avenues in the Duopoly

This isn’t for everyone. However, many ex-Libertarians consider going to/back to the duopoly. The reality of the political system is disappointing, but for people trying to actually make electoral change, it sometimes feels hopeless outside of the two party system. Which may be one reason that people return to it and reluctantly participate. For many former LP members who have ventured into the realm of the Rs and Ds, there are options for you, too.

Democratic Freedom Caucus — “The Democratic Freedom Caucus (DFC) promotes the values that the Democratic Party was founded upon: individual liberty, constitutional democracy, and social responsibility.

We support the Bill of Rights, which describes what is meant by individual liberty and constitutional limits on government.

The DFC advocates freedom-oriented policies, which go beyond left and right: promoting the public interest rather than favoritism to special interests; addressing the root causes of economic problems; building-in incentives for improving the quality and efficiency of public services; upholding civil liberties; and equal freedom for everyone, which is essential for human progress.”

Republican Liberty Caucus — “The Republican Liberty Caucus is a 527 voluntary grassroots membership organization dedicated to working within the Republican Party to advance the principles of individual rights, limited government, and free markets. Founded in 1991, it is the oldest continuously-operating organization within the Liberty Republican movement.

Mission:
“The mission of the Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) is to return the Republican Party to its ideological roots of limited government, free enterprise, and personal liberty and responsibility.”

Vision:
“Members of the Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) believe in taking a principled stand consistent with the timeless principles of the founding fathers that stands in stark contrast to the existing party establishment.”

The Verdict: Some folks will find the Republican Party intolerable and some folks will find the Democratic Party intolerable. Wherever you go, never lose sight of your principles. For it is a libertarian’s values, and the emphasis on maximizing freedom, that set us apart from other political ideologues.

Staying in the LP?

Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about you guys. Personally, I see it as a fruitless endeavor, but for those of you with no plans of leaving the party, I have a few caucuses to recommend.

Libertarian Party Radical Caucus — “We seek a world set free in our lifetimes; no more, no less. Radical Libertarians seek a time of advancing liberty and retreating government; we seek a growing, successful Libertarian Party that is capable of winning the hearts and minds of millions of people over to liberty and justice.”

Libertarian Party Classical Liberal Caucus — “We are libertarians dedicated to promoting Classical Liberal principles, involvement, and professionalism in and through the Libertarian Party. We believe that human rights are inherent and the ultimate goal of government is to protect them. The bold and compassionate message of Classical Liberalism is needed now more than ever. Join and help us make liberty classical again.”

Libertarian Party Liberation Caucus — “The LPLC advocates for libertarian positions on social issues, works to build coalitions to achieve social freedom and works to create and maintain space for all freedom lovers in the party.”

Conclusion

Different people will always be attracted to different things. There is no single path to liberty. Take whichever road you feel most inclined to take. In fact, in many ways, you are not bound to any singular path either. You are free to choose whichever combination of things you’d like. I am merely here to tell you that you are not alone, and you have options, wherever you go.