Political Quiz: Are You a Libertarian?

What is a libertarian? Unenrolled voters may have asked themselves that on Primary Day if they were offered a choice between three ballots. The usual Democrat and Republican sheets were there, but this year Massachusetts Libertarians were recognized as a major party and, accordingly, were represented by their own ballot. As an activist, I admit it’s a shame that only one candidate, Daniel Fishman (candidate for State Auditor), was available for Waltham voters on the ballot this election cycle. But, hey, it’s a start!

Only 12 Libertarian ballots were pulled in the city, and I was one of two voters in Ward 6 to do so. With only 14,271 registered voters across the state, it may be more tempting to ask yourself --- even if you don’t know what a libertarian is --- “why bother with a libertarian?”

Here are a few details that might earn us your consideration:

• Libertarian voter registration in MA increased by 5,684 individuals from February 2017 to the present level (recorded August 2018). In the same period, Democrat and Republican voters DECREASED by 34,471 and 13,285 individuals, respectively. Libertarians not your cup of tea? Join the ranks of unenrolled voters in the Commonwealth who are not committing to the traditional parties, either. Their tally increased by 49,566 individuals.
  
  
• Nationally, Libertarian voter registration has increased by 92% since 2008. Democrat voters decreased by 8%, and Republican voters decreased by 5%. Registration as independents or other parties rose 19% in the same period. For the 2016 Presidential election, approximately 4,489,341 voters cast ballots for the Johnson/Weld ticket, up from 1,275,923 Libertarians in 2012.
  
  
• Dan Fishman and Marc Mercier (Governor’s Councillor candidate, 5th District), the only two balloted Libertarian candidates in Massachusetts, join a record number of approximately 800 men and women competing in the 2018 election season around the country. They seek to join 170+ Libertarians already in office.

In short, libertarians are poised to make an impact this November and, from there, continue to build momentum towards the 2020 election. If you do not already know what a libertarian is, perhaps it is time to learn more about their typical positions. The following survey allows you to measure your views against a selection of statements from the 2018 Libertarian Party national platform. I hope some of you will be surprised by your results!

I invite Sean Durkee and Sharline Nabulime, the two Ward 6 Councillor candidates vying for your consideration on September 25th, to complete the quiz and submit to me their answers for addendum to this article. While I do not think either of them would be very libertarian, their responses will paint a more comprehensive picture as to who they are and where they stand on a variety of issues. I invite all other non-Libertarian state candidates to do the same. What does “liberty” mean to you in your service to the Commonwealth?

Are You a Libertarian? – 2018 Edition

Please review each and determine if:

(a.) you strongly AGREE with the statement or SUPPORT the suggested policy as-is,

(b.) you strongly DISAGREE with the statement or REJECT the suggested policy as-is, or

(c.) you’re unsure and/or you’d prefer to make a personal statement about the issue rather than support or reject the prompt outright. You are encouraged to share a personal statement for all prompts if you feel inclined to do so.

At the conclusion of the survey, a simple tally of your responses will suggest to what degree you may identify as a libertarian, even if you have never considered that label before. To read the full texts of these Libertarian Party platform planks and others, please visit: https://www.lp.org/platform/

1.) We support full freedom of expression and oppose government censorship, regulation or control of communications media and technology. --- 1.2 Expression and Communication

[ ] Agree
[ ] Disagree
[ ] Other

Personal Statement:

2.) Libertarians support the right of every person to earn an honest and peaceful living through the free and voluntary exchange of goods and services. Accordingly, we oppose occupational and other licensing laws that infringe on this right or treat it as a state-granted privilege. --- 2.9 Licensing

[ ] Agree
[ ] Disagree
[ ] Other

Personal Statement:

3.) Sexual orientation, preference, gender, or gender identity should have no impact on the government’s treatment of individuals, such as in current marriage, child custody, adoption, immigration or military service laws. --- 1.4 Personal Relationships

[ ] Agree
[ ] Disagree
[ ] Other

Personal Statement:

4.) We support any initiative to reduce or abolish any tax, and oppose any increase on any taxes for any reason. --- 2.4 Government Finance and Spending

[ ] Agree
[ ] Disagree
[ ] Other

Personal Statement:

5.) We oppose the government’s use of secret classifications to keep from the public information that it should have, especially that which shows that the government has violated the law. --- 3.2 Internal Security and Individual Rights

[ ] Agree
[ ] Disagree
[ ] Other

Personal Statement:

6.) The Libertarian Party supports the decriminalization of prostitution. --- 2.10 Sex Work

[ ] Agree
[ ] Disagree
[ ] Other

Personal Statement:

7.) Employment and compensation agreements between private employers and employees are outside the scope of government, and these contracts should not be encumbered by government-mandated benefits or social engineering. --- 2.11 Labor Markets

[ ] Agree
[ ] Disagree
[ ] Other

Personal Statement:

8.) Recognizing that the education of children is a parental responsibility, we would restore authority to parents to determine the education of their children, without interference from government. --- 2.12 Education

[ ] Agree
[ ] Disagree
[ ] Other

Personal Statement:

9.) We oppose the administration of the death penalty by the state. --- 1.8 Death Penalty

[ ] Agree
[ ] Disagree
[ ] Other

Personal Statement:

10.) While energy is needed to fuel a modern society, government should not be subsidizing any particular form of energy. --- 2.3 Energy and Resources

[ ] Agree
[ ] Disagree
[ ] Other

Personal Statement:

11.) Our foreign policy should emphasize defense against attack from abroad and enhance the likelihood of peace by avoiding foreign entanglements. --- 3.3 International Affairs

[ ] Agree
[ ] Disagree
[ ] Other

Personal Statement:

12.) We oppose laws that effectively exclude alternative candidates and parties, deny ballot access, gerrymander districts, or deny the voters their right to consider all legitimate alternatives. --- 3.6 Representative Government

[ ] Agree
[ ] Disagree
[ ] Other

Personal Statement:

13.) The only legitimate use of force is in defense of individual rights — life, liberty, and justly acquired property — against aggression. --- 1.9 Self-Defense

[ ] Agree
[ ] Disagree
[ ] Other

Personal Statement:

14.) We favor a free market health care system. We recognize the freedom of individuals to determine the level of health insurance they want (if any), the level of health care they want, the care providers they want, the medicines and treatments they will use and all other aspects of their medical care, including end-of-life decisions. --- 2.13 Health Care

[ ] Agree
[ ] Disagree
[ ] Other

Personal Statement:

To complete this survey as a Google Form, please use the link below:
https://goo.gl/forms/40FQutKMry8Su8Fm1

Steven Lester is a registered Libertarian voter in Waltham and a dues-paying member of the Libertarian Association of Massachusetts. Please contact him if you have questions about this survey or if you are interested in volunteering for Libertarian candidates or pro-liberty causes in the state. Email: slester.lp@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steven.lester.waltham