Libertarian Party

Many of the third parties discussed in this Timeline, such as the Populists, the Progressives, and the Socialists, have sought to convince voters that the federal government should play a greater role in regulating corporations and in ensuring a more equitable distribution of wealth. As we have observed, once the Democratic Party began to implement these ideas in the 1930s, in the form of the New Deal, the left-wing alternative parties lost much of their electoral appeal. In a two-party system, one or both of the two main parties will frequently seek to expand their appeal by endorsing some of the concerns raised by third parties that have managed to attract the support of hundreds of thousands of voters.

In the years after the New Deal, the size and budget of the federal government expanded at a much more rapid rate than had taken place before the Depression; the scope of the federal government's power also increased tremendously. Lyndon Johnson's Great Society programs helped to alleviate poverty among African Americans, the elderly, and other needy populations, but they came at a cost -- higher taxes for most Americans.

Although the principal issue behind the formation of the American Independent Party was a hostility toward the civil rights agenda of the Democratic Party, George Wallace's 1968 campaign was also fueled in part by resentment of the growth of the federal government. In 1971, another third party was founded in Colorado by citizens dedicated to the ideal that the best government is the one that governs least. Calling themselves the Libertarian Party, these citizens adhere to a philosophy of a vastly reduced government role in nearly all aspects of American society.

Libertarians believe strongly in a free-market economy. According to their platform, "the only proper role of existing governments in the economic realm is to protect property rights, adjudicate disputes, and provide a legal framework in which voluntary trade is protected." Accordingly, they are opposed to nearly all taxation, economic regulation, and government spending programs and would abolish such things as public schools and utilities, leaving the market to provide these services instead.

Libertarians are also firmly committed to the sanctity of individual rights and are thus opposed to government interference in a person's private affairs. Consequently, they would remove all abortion restrictions and prohibitions on drug use. Libertarians advocate unlimited freedom of speech and association and oppose all forms of censorship.

Promoting these views, the Libertarian Party has run a presidential candidate in every election since 1972, but it has yet to attract one million voters in a presidential contest. However, Libertarians have made greater inroads at the state and local level, with some 300 party members currently holding elective office. The party is organized in all 50 states and continues to expand its membership.