November 1, 2014

Many voters are feeling disenfranchised by the Two Big Old parties and are looking for alternatives. We’ve fielded a number of inquiries from folks who are curious how the Libertarian and Independence parties compare, and how our candidates differ from those offered by the IP. This is a side-by-side comparison of our two parties by the issues.

Combined LP and IP logos - article graphic

Libertarian Party or Independence Party: a comparison

The motto of the Independence Party, “Fiscally Responsible, Socially Tolerant” is nearly identical to the “Fiscally Responsible, Socially Accepting” tagline we’ve sometimes used. A number of the IP’s candidates have advocated some pro-liberty positions, so our two parties may seem quite similar on the surface. However, an extensive investigation of the issues reveals some significant differences.

This article begins with a background of each party’s history and statistics, followed by an issue-by-issue comparison. The IP has frequently been criticized for failing to assert what it stands for. As will be demonstrated, we believe those critics to be correct. This article is not intended to misrepresent the Independence Party. In the event of errors, we may be contacted at info@lpmn.org and edits can be made.

 

BACKGROUND AND STATISTICS

Independence Party

The Independence Party of Minnesota was founded in 1992 by Dean Barkley and other supporters of Texas magnate Ross Perot after his initial run for president as an independent when he gained 19% of the nationwide vote. The IP become affiliated with the National Reform Party, a party created to assist Mr Perot’s second run for President in 1996. The party’s primary issues at that time were addressing the rising national debt, achieving a balanced federal budget, and protectionism (opposition to free trade). However, Mr Perot received only 7% of the vote in 1996 after collusion by the Democratic and Republican parties excluded him from the presidential debates.

The Reform Party’s greatest victory was in Minnesota, with the election of Governor Jesse Ventura in 1998 by 37% of the vote. However, due to the party’s large stature and minimal philosophical foundation, it attracted a wide variety of personalities from across the political spectrum. After a factional dispute between Jesse Ventura, a libertarian-leaning liberal, and Pat Buchanan, an authoritarian-leaning conservative, the Independence Party split from the Reform Party and has had no national affiliation since.

The Reform Party survives in only five states (excluding Minnesota) and claims 2 elected officials nationwide. At its high-water mark, the Independence Party of Minnesota held the Governor post, had an appointed US Senator, and claimed two officials in the state legislature. The IP has 2 known locally elected officials today.

On the four-quadrant political spectrum, the IP is generally centrist in its views, offering a middle-of-the-road “good government” approach. The party’s current top issues are achievement of a balanced budget, reform of campaign finance laws, and legalization and regulation of marijuana.

Libertarian Party

The Libertarian Party was founded in 1971 by David Nolan and others who felt that a new political party was needed in light of Republican President Richard Nixon’s enactment of wage and price controls due to the dollar’s debasement, his escalation of the unpopular Vietnam War, and his expansion of the large Great Society programs enacted by his predecessor, Democratic President Lyndon Johnson. The LP was formed to create a convergence of the “libertarian left” and “libertarian right” whose only options had been one of the Two Big Old parties. Shortly thereafter, state affiliates formed across the country, including the Libertarian Party of Minnesota in 1972. At the time, the LP was the first alternative party to become organized at the national level in several decades.

A high-water mark for the Libertarian Party was in 2000 with the election of several state legislators in three states (Alaska, New Hampshire, and Vermont). But after those initial victories, the Democrats and Republicans enacted new restrictions in those and other states to increase the difficulty for alternative party candidates to get onto the ballot and to become elected. Nonetheless, the LP is now the largest alternative party in the nation, and by several measures: active state affiliates (all 50 states + DC, 33 of which have achieved major party status), number of states where its presidential candidate has appeared on the ballot (48 in 2012), number of candidates running for office (over 700 in 2014), and number of elected officials (142 in 2014). In 2012, the Libertarian Party of Minnesota became one of five recognized parties in Minnesota, and in 2013, gained 2 elected officials.

On the four-quadrant political spectrum, the LP is libertarian. The LPMN’s position of supporting both personal and economic freedom is comprised of four distinct areas: support for individual freedom of lifestyle, strong civil liberties, a free and open marketplace, and international peace.

Finally, while both the LPMN and National LP have been seeing momentum, people around the world are increasingly voicing a hunger to live free. The libertarian movement is now experiencing rapid growth internationally. In addition to longstanding Libertarian Parties in Canada, Costa Rica, and New Zealand, the past few years have seen new parties emerge in Argentina, Britain, the Netherlands, Poland, and Russia. These are increasingly exciting times to be a Libertarian!

 

POSITIONS ON ISSUES

Here is an issue-by-issue comparison of the LPMN and the IP. Not all issues are represented, just several which have been in the headlines in recent years. Stances in green reflect what we believe to be pro-liberty positions.

As an aside, we frequently get trolled by Republicans who seem to believe that Libertarians can be swayed into supporting their candidates. But this analysis shows that Libertarians often do not agree with Republicans, and on a majority of issues.

 

Social and Civil Liberties Issues

Marriage Equality

0-Marriage Equality

The LPMN opposed the Marriage Amendment in 2011, and we were pleased the IP joined us in helping to defeat a grave injustice. However, those stances were delivered in a considerably different manner. The LPMN held an emergency meeting seven days after the Amendment’s passage, denouncing it in a unanimous decision. Thus, the LPMN was one of the founders of the Minnesotans United for All Families coalition, spearheading initial opposition to the Amendment. After some deliberation, the IP adopted its stance over a month later, once it was clear that public opinion was beginning to move in that direction.

After the Amendment’s defeat and the introduction of a proposal to abolish the statuatory ban on same-sex marriage, the LPMN continued to press further, supporting the ban’s elimination and working privately with Minnesotans United officials to propose that state involvement in marriage be ended entirely (a proposal they did not choose to adopt).

 

End Marijuana Prohibition

02-End Marijuana Prohibition

In a very recent stance, the IP has issued a position calling for an end to marijuana prohibition. We congratulate them! Similarly, every Libertarian candidate has also called for an end to the ban on marijuana, and our candidates have done so since the party was founded. The LPMN itself has not taken a specific stance on this issue, because we view it as one component of a much larger issue, which is …

 

End the War on Drugs

03-End the War on Drugs

Libertarians have stood in opposition to the War on Drugs since inception of the party. For many years, we were a lone voice in calling for this. We view the recent trend toward legalizing marijuana as evidence that our steadfast stance is gaining traction with the public. More recently, we published an extensive report detailing the many reasons the War on Drugs must end. As far back as 2000, Libertarian presidential candidate Harry Browne put this issue in front of the public with his TV commercial End the War on Drugs. Despite the fact that over 2 million peaceful people are in American prisons on nonviolent drug charges, the IP has not taken a stance on this critical issue.

 

Right to Self-Defense (Firearms)

04-Right to Self-Defense

The LPMN supports the ability of individuals to engage in self-defense as a basic human right, including support for the 2nd Amendment and the use of firearms for this and other peaceful purposes. When the freedom of peaceful firearms owners was threatened last year by a misguided proposal, three LPMN leaders testified at the State Capitol against it, adding our voices to the popular outrage and helping to shut down this proposal before it ever reached the legislature. In the wake of violence in a school which shook the nation, the LPMN further proposed ways to avoid future violence by expanding freedom, rather than by restricting it. The IP has been silent on this issue.

 

Police Accountability

05-Police Accountability

Numerous police brutality stories are in the news, including the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri. The DFL and GOP have been strong supporters of the police. Only the LPMN has been proposing solutions on how police can be held accountable or how security can be better performed by the marketplace. The National LP has also spoken out about police militarization and aggressiveness. This is a basic civil liberties issue. But the IP is silent.

 

Right to Privacy (Anti-Surveillance)

06-Right to Privacy

Libertarians are strong supporters of the right to privacy and opponents of warrantless searches without probable cause. The LPMN took a strong stand against aggressive TSA searches at airports in defiance of the 4th Amendment. The National LP has also taken a strong stand against mass surveillance by the NSA, and has further opposed the recent cybersecurity bill. Libertarians, including 2012 Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson, have even teamed up with progressives to protest growing encroachments on privacy by the federal government. Another basic civil liberties issue. Again the IP is silent.

 

International Peace (Antiwar)

07-International Peace

Support for peace is a key issue for Libertarians. We recently published an article describing the need for peace in light of the latest US expansion of warfare in Iraq. The LPMN has been active on this issue, giving its support to a statewide coalition of groups seeking to end runaway military spending, and LPMN activists have joined antiwar protests which helped shut down airstrikes by President Obama against Syria in 2013 before they even happened. The National LP has also taken a strong stand against renewed military attacks in the Middle East. So did 2012 Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson in his television ad The War Stops Here. As a state-only party, the IP offers no stance on this national-level issue. Yet this issue affects every Minnesotan who is a soldier or who has a family member who’s served, and with both the DFL and GOP supporting more war, Minnesotans need a strong voice in support of peace. As a major party, the LPMN will be that voice.

 

Economic and Fiscal Issues

Balanced Budget

11-Balanced Budget

The Libertarian Party supports a Balanced Budget Amendment. The Independence Party also supports a balanced budget as one of its top issues.

 

Government Debt

12-Government Debt

As part of its platform, the LP opposes government debt, and has further opposed raising the debt limit as a substitute for controlling spending. The IP also supports reduction of the National Debt. This was also a key original issue for the National Reform Party.

 

Increased Taxation

13-Increased Taxation

Not only do Libertarians oppose increased taxation, but we are seeking ways to phase out of taxes, so that every person can retain more of their own money to save, spend, or donate as they see fit, not as the politicians see fit. The LPMN recently discussed eliminating Minnesota’s business tax as a tactic that would benefit ordinary Minnesotans, keep existing businesses in our state, and attract new enterprises. Our candidates have proposed building the new Vikings stadium without the use of any taxation. National LP Vice Chair Arvin Vohra has proposed completely eliminating the personal income tax by reducing federal spending to 1998 levels. What a boon these could be for the average person, with more job opportunities AND more earnings retained by employees. Problems paying down student loan debt, making mortgage payments, or affording healthcare? With more of each person’s own money at their disposal, these challenges would suddenly become less daunting. Meanwhile, the IP is moving in the opposite direction. In supporting legalization of marijuana, the IP is calling for its taxation. That would be a new tax, indicating that they believe government should extract even more revenue from the people.

 

Genuinely Free Marketplace

14-Genuinely Free Marketplace

The LPMN was the only party to take a stand against the minimum wage as something that actually hurts the low-income people it is intended to help. The LPMN has further proposed ways that voluntary participants in the marketplace could finance a new Vikings stadium without government assistance, shown that fire safety can be and already is being handled by market-based regulators like the NFPA and UL, and in this speech given at our 2013 state convention, LPMN Vice Chair S.L. Malleck explained how a market-based justice system would operate and why it would be superior to the government-based court system we have today. These are bold, innovative solutions that the public will not hear from anyone else. The GOP frequently uses the term “free market”, but they know not what it means; most of their policies have supported “crony capitalism” favoring large corporations. The IP has not promoted any known market-based alternatives to government services.

 

New Solutions to Poverty

New Solutions to Poverty

One of the most pressing problems in our society today is entrenched poverty. The LPMN is the only party attempting to propose new solutions to this seemingly intractable problem, in a recent article. The IP has no stance about poverty.

 

Competing Currencies (End the Fed)

Competing Currencies

Libertarians support the option of alternative currencies such as Bitcoin, and an end to the persecution of those creating market-based currencies like the Liberty Dollar. LPMN activists have helped raise awareness of the Federal Reserve’s monopoly control of the US dollar by assisting in End the Fed protests and by continuing to educate the public about the Fed’s monetary inflation as the root cause behind the deterioration in the dollar’s value as it pertains to the drive to increase the minimum wage. The IP is silent on this issue.

 

Electoral Issues

New Restrictions on Voting (Voter ID)

21-New Restrictions on Voting

The LPMN does not support new government restrictions on voting. The LPMN opposed the recently proposed Voter ID requirement, as did the IP.

 

Ranked Choice Voting

22-Ranked Choice Voting

Both the LPMN and the IP endorsed ranked choice voting in 2006, as a way for citizens to vote their conscience by picking their favorite candidate as a 1st choice, and candidates they might deem more likely to win as 2nd and 3rd choices, mitigating the incentive to vote for “the lesser of two evils”. The DFL introduced this as a ballot measure in Minneapolis and later in St Paul, and RCV passed in both cities.

 

Open and Inclusive Political Process

23-Open and Inclusive Political Process

The IP has frequently cited its current “major party status” as the reason it should be included in debates, in articles and statements by its officials and candidates. Libertarians find this to be hypocritical. The IP’s assertion of major party status seeks only to include itself, and is akin to the Democrats and Republicans use of arbitrary criteria to exclude all but themselves. This is a contrast to the LPMN’s position that if a candidate is on the ballot and thus a legitimate choice to voters, they should be included in all debates. Libertarians oppose the use of arbitrary categories, polling results, and other such criteria as justification for exclusion and suppression of viewpoints.

The LPMN has a long history of fighting for the right of all alternative parties to be heard, such as the LPMN-organized multiparty rally against the Democratic/Republican-controlled Commission on Presidential Debates in 2012, where all alternative parties were invited. Similarly, the IP refuses to endorse candidates of other parties (Bylaw 04.80), while the LPMN is willing to do so if a Libertarian candidate is not in the race (Bylaw 8.2). The LPMN has occasionally endorsed candidates of the Grassroots, Constitution, and Pirate parties, even though all those parties are smaller than the LPMN, when it was believed that doing so would advance the general cause of liberty. Should the LPMN achieve major party status, it will continue to champion inclusiveness for all ballot candidates, because Libertarians are strong supporters of the 1st Amendment and freedom of speech, the ability of all viewpoints to be heard in the marketplace of ideas, and a free and open political process.

 

A FINAL APPEAL

The Independence Party has held major party status in Minnesota for 20 years. They have not posted a win since Jesse Ventura’s victory. In part, that’s due to political chicanery by the DFL and GOP to marginalize them.  It could be due to their lack of national infrastructure. But it may also be due to vagueness on many of their positions. The IP has failed to adopt a stance on a number of critical issues. Offering themselves as “an alternative” or a “protest vote” to the Two Big Old parties is not enough. It’s time for Minnesotans to have an alternative party willing to assert strong stances on issues and to take a leadership role in promoting those issues.

Minnesotans need leaders and candidates willing to be bold, with a clear voice to actively challenge the Democrats and Republicans. The Libertarian Party of Minnesota is up to this challenge and is ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work taking on the two-party establishment. We have already been doing so, and our track record proves it. Over the past several years, we in the LPMN have taken many stances and backed them up with justification on why our pro-liberty positions would be beneficial to Minnesotans.

We invite all independent-minded Minnesotans to support our Libertarian candidates on November 4th. This year, we need 5% of the statewide vote to gain major party status, so we can put several critical issues front & center on the table for Minnesotans. This is a chance for independents to become part of something greater, a party with a national organization, and even an international presence. These are exciting times to be a Libertarian, and we welcome newcomers who value liberty for themselves and their neighbors.

The next time your freedom is threatened by the Two Big Old parties, who will you trust to immediately step forward to stand up for YOU? Who will offer bold new proposals to begin moving our state in a pro-liberty direction? We hope the answer is clear enough.

Join us on November 4th by voting Libertarian and helping every individual to LIVE FREE!

Concerned about the expansion of government control and the erosion of individual liberty? Please consider joining and becoming active with the Libertarian Party of Minnesota. Libertarians support liberty on all issues, all the time! Libertarianism is a philosophical and political movement to promote personal freedom, strong civil liberties, a genuinely free marketplace, and peace.

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