I wish I could be a libertarian. Rather, I wish libertarianism could be me.
The core tenet of libertarianism, protecting the liberty of the individual, rings bells of importance for every citizen in the U.S. This idea that the land of the free must protect freedom at all costs generates a romantic heroism within the libertarian ideology. Ideally, all should have the liberty to not be bothered.
Libertarianism's rise in popularity is quickly becoming one of the most important factors for upcoming 2014 midterm elections. Congress’s approval ratings are in the dump, and many speculate that now is as good a time as ever for a third party to capitalize on the missteps of the mainstream factions and plug itself into the political frontline.
Unfortunately, I don’t think this will happen.
A recent study by the Public Religion Research Institute shows that despite the masses accepting pieces of libertarianism as necessities in their political philosophy, the Libertarian Party as a whole does not appeal to a widespread audience.
This lack of allure for the expanding American electorate is indicative of the issues with libertarianism in the U.S.
It's historically had an ideology closely aligned with that of the Republican Party. As the survey indicates, 45 percent of libertarians identify as Republicans, while only 5 percent identify as Democrats. Additionally, 39 percent of the participants in the study identified as supporters of the Tea Party.
This conservative alliance with the Republican Party is the first misstep of libertarians. The political stigma associated with the Republican Party damages the movement’s reputation with minorities, who already largely support Democratic and liberal leaders.
The most damaging part of the libertarian agenda is the undying loyalty to capitalism and free markets.
The U.S. has seen rampant corporate exploitation of citizens during the past 35 years, largely because of deregulation of financial markets, yet the libertarian ideology still champions the idea of completely unregulated business. It is hard for me to justify government intervention, but on issues of large scale, multinational corporate business, it is necessary to concede some economic liberty to protect the working class.
Government officials are liable to meet a standard of responsibility to those who voted them into office. This is not the case with large-scale corporations, which have no allegiance to anyone or anything but their investors — and this allegiance calls for the maximizing of profits.
Additionally, libertarians wanting to eliminate government economic assistance to the working and lower classes discourages minority participation with the cause.
As shown in the study, 94 percent of libertarians are non-Hispanic whites, and 68 percent are men. This statistic calls for a change in the libertarian platform if the ideology is to have any form of mainstream success.
As a progressive liberal, I feel strongly about a lot of libertarian sentiments. I often find myself agreeing with the libertarian cause on issues of civil liberties and foreign policy, but the economic strategy of the party is ignorant of cultural and historical context that points to contrary solutions.
Reach the columnist at zjenning@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @humanzane.
