Republican versus Democrat. Conservative versus Liberal. Populist versus Progressive. When it comes to identifying with a political party, many Americans do not identify as a party somewhere in the middle. The Libertarian Party, being that it promotes individual freedom and limited government involvement, may be that middle-ground that Americans need. Since humans are selfish by nature, Libertarians wish for limited government involvement for the fear of too much power.
The Libertarian Party is the largest third party in America. Although the majority of Americans do not identify as Libertarians, many do not realize that they support Libertarian ideas. According to a CNN Poll from 2011, 63 percent of respondents said that the government was doing too much. Although America is one of the world superpowers, individuals are sick and tired of the United States intervening in foreign affairs that do not directly affect them. This is why the Libertarian Party began in the first place, after concerns over American involvement in the Vietnam War, ultimately to prevent the spread of Communism.
The platform of the Libertarian Party is to decrease the national debt by not only spending less on social programs, but also by decreasing taxes. As President Ronald Reagan said, "We don't have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven't taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much."
Throughout both the Bush and Obama administrations, America has seen a vast expansion of government, which has caused a large portion of America to question the role of the federal government's power. Following the Patriot Act after the September 11th attacks, many Americans questioned their individual rights as they relate to civil liberty, particularly Libertarians. Millennials especially feel threatened to know that their privacy on the Internet can be at stake, as a result of the Patriot Act. On the other hand, under the Obama administration, we saw an expansion of the government with the creation of Obamacare, which some Americans view as a complicated plan that has increased premiums.
Although modern Libertarians tend to be right-leaning on the political spectrum, they also tend to lean left on social issues, since they believe that the individual is responsible for these decisions. Libertarians support same-sex marriage, the legalization of marijuana, and oppose the death penalty. Additionally, Libertarians also support the Second Amendment, as it is also an individual's right to own a gun for protection, responsibly so.
Thus, America is undoubtedly experiencing a rise in Libertarian policies without realizing it. Same-sex marriage became legal in all fifty states in 2015. Slowly, marijuana is becoming legal either medically or recreationally state-by-state. In a country where Republicans and Democrats are more divisive than they ever have been, it is important to look into the philosophies of other parties, for the Libertarian Party has the potential to grow into a major party in the future.