Libertarian Party in 2000 Libertarian Party Platform
On Abortion:
Abortion is a woman’s choice and does not concern the state
Recognizing that abortion is a sensitive issue and that libertarians can hold good-faith views on both sides, we believe the government should be kept out of the question. We condemn state-funded abortions. It is particularly harsh to
force someone who believes that abortion is murder to pay for another’s abortion. It is the right of the woman, not the state, to decide the desirability of prenatal testing, Caesarean births, fetal surgery, and/or home births.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Budget & Economy:
Reduce taxes, spending, and eliminate controls on trade
To ensure the economic freedom and enhance the economic well-being of Americans, we would implement the following policies: dramatic reductions in both taxes and government spending; .an end to deficit budgets;
a halt to inflationary monetary policies; the elimination of all government impediments to free trade; and the repeal of all controls on wages, prices, rents, profits, production, and interest rates.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Budget & Economy:
Abolish all regulation of banks in favor of free market
We favor free-market banking. We call for the abolition of the Federal Reserve System, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the National Banking System, and all similar interventions. Our opposition encompasses all controls on interest.
We call for the abolition of the Federal Home Loan Bank System, the Resolution Trust Corporation, the National Credit Union Administration, the National Credit Union Central Liquidity Facility, and all similar interventions.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Budget & Economy:
Pass constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget
We support a constitutional amendment requiring the national government to balance its budget. A balanced budget amendment should provide: a. that neither Congress nor the President be permitted to override this requirement; b. that all
off-budget items are included in the budget; c. that the budget is balanced by cutting expenditures, and not by raising taxes; d. that no exception be made for emergency.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Civil Rights:
Repeal all laws against homosexuality
We advocate the repeal of laws regarding consensual sexual relations, including prostitution, and the cessation of state harassment of homosexuals; [and] the repeal of laws prohibiting the distribution of sexually explicit material.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Civil Rights:
Right to complete freedom of expression includes pornography
We defend the rights of individuals to unrestricted freedom of speech, freedom of the press and the right of individuals to dissent from government itself. We oppose any abridgment of the freedom of speech through government censorship,
regulation or control of communications media, including, but not limited to, laws concerning: Obscenity, including “pornography.”
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Civil Rights:
Redress the wrongs of the U.S. towards the Indians
The rights of American Indians have been usurped over the years. We support the following remedies: (1) individuals should be free to select their own citizenship, (2) Indians should have their property rights restored, including rights of easement,
access, hunting, and fishing, (3) the Bureau of Indian Affairs should be abolished leaving tribal members to determine their own system of governance, and (4) negotiations should be undertaken to resolve all differences between tribes and government.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Crime:
Encourage private efforts to fight crime
The appropriate way to suppress crime is through consistent enforcement of laws that protect individual rights. We call for an end to “hate crime” laws that foster resentment by giving some individuals special status under the law.
We applaud the trend toward private protection services and voluntary community crime control groups.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Crime:
Allow drugs, alcohol, prostitution, gambling, and suicide
We advocate the repeal of laws prohibiting the production, sale, or use of drugs; the repeal of laws restricting the use of alcohol; the repeal of laws regarding consensual sexual relations, including prostitution, and the cessation of state harassment
of homosexuals; the repeal of laws prohibiting the distribution of sexually explicit material; the repeal of laws regulating gambling; the repeal of anti-racketeering statutes, the repeal of laws interfering with the right to commit suicide.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Crime:
Strengthen, not reduce, the rights of the accused
We oppose reduction of constitutional safeguards of the rights of the accused. We oppose pretrial seizure of property for criminal offenses. We oppose police using excessive force on the accused. We support full restitution for loss suffered by persons
injured in the course of criminal proceedings that do not result in their conviction. We call for allowing parties to a court action a reasonable number of peremptory challenges to proposed judges, similar to their right to challenge a proposed juror.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Drugs:
The war on drugs threatens individual liberties
The War on Drugs is a threat to individual liberty and domestic order; furthermore, it has provided a rationale by which the power of the state has been expanded to restrict our privacy. We condemn the use of “profiles” as sufficient to satisfy the
probable cause requirement of the Fourth Amendment, the use of “civil asset forfeiture” to reduce the standard of proof historically borne by government in prosecutions, and the use of military forces for civilian law enforcement.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Education:
Separation of education and State
We advocate the complete separation of education and State. Government schools lead to the indoctrination of children and interfere with the free choice of individuals. Government ownership, operation, regulation, and subsidy
of schools and colleges should be ended. We call for the repeal of the guarantees of tax-funded, government-provided education, which are found in most state constitutions.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Education:
End compulsory busing & compulsory education
We condemn compulsory education laws, which spawn prison-like schools with many of the problems associated with prisons, and we call for an immediate repeal of such laws.Until government involvement in education is ended, we support elimination,
within the governmental school system, of forced busing and corporal punishment. We further support immediate reduction of tax support for schools, and removal of the burden of school taxes from those not responsible for the education of children.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Education:
The state should stay out of education
We advocate the complete separation of education and State. We oppose denial of tax-exempt status to schools because of those schools’ private policies. We support the repeal of all taxes on the income or property of private schools, whether for profit
or non-profit. We condemn compulsory education laws. We further support immediate reduction of tax support for schools, and removal of the burden of school taxes from those not responsible for the education of children.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Education:
Treat private school funding the same as public schools
As an interim measure to encourage the growth of private schools and variety in education, including home schooling, we support tax credits for tuition and other expenditures related to an individual’s education. We likewise favor tax credits
for child care and oppose nationalization of the child-care industry. We oppose denial of tax-exempt status to schools because of those schools’ private policies on hiring, admissions, and student deportment.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Environment:
The parties responsible for pollution should be held liable
Pollution of other people’s property is a violation of individual rights. Strict liability, not arbitrary government standards, should regulate pollution. We demand the abolition of the Environmental Protection Agency. Rather than making taxpayers pay
for toxic waste clean-ups, the responsible managers and employees, should be held strictly liable for material damage done by their property. Claiming that one has abandoned a piece of property does not absolve one of the responsibility.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Families & Children:
Keep families free from government intrusion
We believe that families and households are private institutions, which should be free from government intrusion and interference. We believe that government involvement in traditional parenting responsibilities
has weakened families and replaced family-taught morals with government-taught morals. Parents, or other guardians, have the right to raise their children according to their own standards
and beliefs, without interference by government, unless they are abusing the children. We recognize that the determination of child abuse can be very difficult. Only local courts should be empowered to remove
a child from his or her home, with the consent of the community. This is not meant to preclude appropriate action when a child is in immediate physical danger.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Foreign Policy:
Tyranny around the world must be condemned
We condemn the violations of human rights in all nations around the world. We particularly abhor the widespread and increasing use of torture for interrogation and punishment. We call upon the world’s governments to usher in a new
age of international harmony based upon the universal reign of liberty. We recognize the right of all people to resist tyranny.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Foreign Policy:
No U.S. intervention in the affairs of other countries
We would end the current government policy of foreign intervention, including military and economic aid, guarantees,
and diplomatic meddling. We would end all limitation of private foreign aid, both military and economic.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Free Trade:
Prosperity will come from unrestricted free markets
In order to achieve a free economy, we oppose all government subsidies to business, labor, education, agriculture, science, broadcasting, the arts, sports, or any other special interest. In particular, we condemn
any effort to forge an alliance between government and business under the guise of “industrial policy.”
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Free Trade:
Abolish all trade barriers and trade agreements
Subsidies, tariffs and quotas serve to give special treatment to special interests. These measures reduce the understanding among different peoples. We support abolition of trade barriers and government-sponsored export-promotion programs, as well as the
U.S. International Trade Commission and the U.S. Court of International Trade. Concurrent shall be the complete withdrawal from all trade agreements including the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Government Reform:
The government should keep “hands off” the economy
We oppose all intervention by government into economics. The only role of government in the economic realm is to protect property rights, adjudicate disputes, and provide a legal framework in which voluntary trade is protected.
Government manipulation of the economy creates an entrenched privileged class. We believe that all individuals have the right to dispose of the fruits of their labor as they see fit and that government has no right to take such wealth.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Government Reform:
Abolish the Department of Energy
We oppose government control of energy, such as that imposed by the Department of Energy, state public utility commissions, and state pro-rationing agencies. We support abolition of the Department of Energy.
We oppose all government conservation. All government-owned energy resources should be turned over to private ownership.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Gun Control:
Repeal all gun control laws and regulation of weapons
We affirm the right to keep and bear arms and oppose all laws restricting the ownership, manufacture, or sale of firearms. We oppose all laws requiring registration of firearms or ammunition. We support repeal of all gun control laws and we demand the
immediate abolition of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. We favor the repeal of laws banning the concealment of weapons or prohibiting pocket weapons. We also oppose the banning of inexpensive handguns and semi-automatic weapons.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Health Care:
Government should not be in the health insurance business
We advocate a complete separation of medicine from the state. We oppose any government restriction or funding of medical or scientific research, including cloning. We support an end to government-provided health insurance and health care.
Government’s role in any kind of insurance should only be to enforce contracts when necessary, not to dictate to insurance companies and consumers which kinds of insurance contracts they may voluntarily agree upon.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Homeland Security:
Oppose any form of national service
We call for the abolition of the Selective Service. We oppose any form of national service. We oppose adding women to the pool of those eligible for the draft because we believe that this step enlarges the number of people subjected to government
tyranny. We support the immediate exoneration of all who have been accused or convicted of draft evasion or desertion. We call for the end of the Defense Department practice of discharging armed forces personnel for homosexual conduct.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Homeland Security:
Eliminate nuclear weapons & bring all U.S. troops home
The potential use of nuclear weapons is the greatest threat to America. We call on the U.S. government to continue negotiations to the end that all such weapons will ultimately be eliminated. If Europeans want nuclear weapons on their soil, they
should take full responsibility for them and pay the cost. We call for the withdrawal of American military personnel stationed abroad, including the countries of NATO Europe, Japan, the Philippines, Central America and South Korea.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Immigration:
Eliminate all restrictions on immigration
We welcome all refugees to our country. Furthermore, immigration must not be restricted for reasons of race, religion, political creed, age, or sexual preference. We therefore call for the elimination of all restrictions on immigration,
the abolition of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Border Patrol, and a declaration of full amnesty for all people who have entered the country illegally.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Jobs:
Union activity by choice only
We support the right of free persons to voluntarily associate in, or not associate in, labor unions. An employer should have the right to recognize, or refuse to recognize, a union as the collective bargaining agent of its employees.
We oppose government interference in bargaining. Therefore, we urge repeal of the National Labor Relations Act, and all state Right-to-Work Laws which prohibit employers from making voluntary contracts with unions.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Jobs:
No welfare & no restrictions on work
We support repeal of laws that impede the ability of any person to find employment, such as minimum wage laws, so-called “protective” labor legislation for women and children, & governmental restrictions on the establishment of private
day-care centers. We deplore government-fostered forced retirement, which robs the elderly of the right to work. We oppose all government welfare, relief projects, and “aid to the poor” programs.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Principles & Values:
Encourage individual freedom without government interference
We believe that respect for individual rights is the essential precondition for a free and prosperous world, that force and fraud must be banished from human relationships, and that only through freedom can peace and prosperity be realized.
The world we seek to build is one where individuals are free to follow their own dreams in their own ways, without interference from government or any authoritarian power.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Principles & Values:
Church and state should be completely separate
We defend the rights of individuals to engage in (or abstain from) any religious activities that do not violate the rights of others. In order to defend freedom, we advocate a strict separation of church and State. We oppose taxation of
church property for the same reason that we oppose all taxation. We oppose the harassment of churches by the Internal Revenue Service.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Principles & Values:
No taxation or regulation of private property
All rights are inextricably linked with property rights. Our bodies are our property every bit as much as is justly acquired land or material objects. We further hold that the owners of property have the full right to control, use,
dispose of, or in any manner enjoy, their property without interference. We condemn government efforts to regulate. We demand an end to the taxation of privately owned real property.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Social Security:
Privatize Social Security
We favor replacing the current fraudulent, virtually bankrupt, government sponsored Social Security system with a private voluntary system. Pending that replacement, participation in Social Security should be made voluntary.
Victims of the Social Security tax should have a claim against government property.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On Tax Reform:
Repeal all income taxes, & the 16th Amendment
We recognize the right of any individual to challenge the payment of taxes on moral, religious, legal, or constitutional grounds; oppose all personal and corporate income taxation; support the repeal of the 16th Amendment, and oppose any increase in
existing tax rates and the imposition of any new taxes; support the eventual repeal of all taxation; and support a declaration of unconditional amnesty for all those individuals who have been convicted of, or who now stand accused of, tax resistance.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
On War & Peace:
Eliminate intervention by US abroad
The important principle in foreign policy should be the elimination of intervention by the United States government in the affairs of other nations.
We favor a drastic reduction in cost and size of our total diplomatic establishment.
Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party
Jul 2, 2000
Page last updated: Nov 29, 2018