There are many differences between individuals who label themselves as conservative and those who label themselves as libertarians. What is critical however is that these differences, though they exist, need to be put aside in order to work through the political system. This will allow for a potent and combined force to be solidified in both current and future election cycles.
As a former conservative-turned-libertarian I feel especially qualified to broach this topic. It is important though to understand the modern day vocabulary prior to proceeding. To put into the most simple of terms there is left liberal, right conservative, libertarian, and authoritarian statist. This is best illustrated by a political diagram entitled “the Nolan Chart”. Thinking in terms of a one-dimensional political “spectrum” is over simplification whereas a two-dimensional plane in the shape of a diamond most accurately represents today’s political ideologies. There is of course left and right, but there is also north and south; north being libertarian and south being statism /authoritarianism. This makes it glaringly obvious that both liberals and conservatives can be advocates for big government and both liberals and conservatives can also be advocates for limited government. Liberty or libertarianism is the opposite of statist authoritarianism. Liberals tend to want to impose economic governmental intervention whereas conservatives tend to want to impose moral or governmental intervention on personal behavior. As stated in an overly used cliché “liberals want the government out of your bedroom, while conservatives want the government out of your boardroom”.
An image of this can be found here:
http://libertarianmajority.wdfiles.com/local–files/platform-portal/NolanChart.png
To learn where you stand take the short free quiz (it takes just under a minute):
http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz
What is interesting is that an increasing number of individuals are libertarians or are at least beginning to identify themselves as such. And a great deal of the voting population openly declares libertarian tendencies regardless of what they actually label themselves. In other words most people are a lot more libertarian than they think they are. A study produced by the Cato Institute notes that in 2006 13% of the entire electorate in the US can be broadly defined as libertarian. In 1999 this number was closer to 9% showing positive growth. The study itself can be found here: http://cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=6715
While individuals who are libertarian have much in common with both conservatives and liberals, the best current electoral strategy is for strategic alliances to be formed with conservatives under the umbrella of the Republican Party. If successful, this will provide the quickest path to electoral victory.
Fortunately the issues that divide the conservatives and libertarians are largely irrelevant in most modern day elections, especially on the local level. While I will personally never support someone who seeks to increase the size or scope of government, I have no reservations working side-by-side with them to advance the cause of liberty and limited government if our paths should so temporarily align. In fact at this juncture I believe it is the only chance for electoral success in the next several election cycles.
So what do real conservatives and real libertarians agree upon? Well fiscal matters first off. Governmental spending should be greatly reduced and in fact minimized which would of course allow taxes to follow the same downward direction. Secondly regulation stifles business and economic activity not to mention that it is the antithesis of freedom. Conservatives and libertarians agree that the Republican Party, to their own peril, has left both groups out in the cold. For most local elections these 3 points of agreement are enough to hold a coalition of conservatives and libertarians together as a formidable force against left liberals and big-government/establishment Republicans.
Libertarians and conservatives need each other. Libertarians are what is known as “politically homeless” particularly in the modern day political culture*. And conservatives are often used by big-government Republicans in order to gain power and then quickly neutralized by the establishment once that power is attained (note the GOP history of 1996-2006).
This can be changed and is in fact being changed at this very moment. Many local Republican Parties will be holding their elections in the next 7 months which offers the perfect opportunity for conservatives and libertarians to gain influence within the GOP. The time for the tea party and liberty movements to coalesce is now so that seats can be won on local Republican Executive Committees. I believe this is the only chance both libertarians and conservatives have of preventing a political dejavu of Republican big-government shenanigans witnessed over the last 15 years.
Think of the Republican Party as a giant oceangoing cargo ship. On the bridge where the ship is being steered are a very few but very strong individuals at the helm. The ship is headed in the wrong direction for various reasons, one of which being that the individuals at the helm are deviating course due to their own personal agenda. The liberty movement and tea partiers are the workers on the ship who know that the ship is heading the wrong way but feel very powerless to stop it. But the workers can come together, rush the bridge, and because they have greater numbers than the few already there, begin to take control of the helm and turn the ship ever so slowly in the correct direction. It will not be a fast process, in fact it will be long and tedious. However the Republican Party can indeed be sent in the right direction if the correct individuals are able to work together take the helm.
*A common point of confusion is that of the Libertarian Party and the libertarian philosophy. Individuals who are a member of the LP are labeled as Libertarians while those who are simply advocates of liberty and less government are labeled as libertarians. One can be a libertarian without being in the Libertarian Party just as one can be a conservative and not be in the Conservative Party.
Article by: Matt Collins
