Sunday, August 31, 2008

FINAL ANALYSIS ON THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY PLATFORM

Here's the analysis of the Libertarian party's position by analyzing voting patterns on various issues.  The graph provides a visual aid so you can see the party's position.

VoteMatch Responses
(Click here for VoteMatch quiz)
VoteMatch Question & Answer
(Click on question for explanation and background)
Based on these stances:
(Click on topic for excerpt & citation)
Strongly Favors topic 1:
Abortion is a woman's right
(+5 points on Social scale)
Government should be kept out of the matter of abortion: Strongly Favors topic 1
Abortion is a woman’s choice and does not concern the state: Favors topic 1
Opposes topic 2:
Require hiring more women & minorities
(+2 points on Economic scale)
Support individual's right to choose, even if we disapprove: Strongly Opposes topic 2
Redress the wrongs of the U.S. towards the Indians: Favors topic 2
Hate crimes are used to punish blacks: Neutral on topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3:
Same-sex domestic partnership benefits
(+5 points on Social scale)
Repeal all laws against homosexuality: Strongly Favors topic 3
Strongly Opposes topic 4:
Teacher-led prayer in public schools
(+5 points on Social scale)
Church and state should be completely separate: Strongly Opposes topic 4
Opposes topic 8:
Death Penalty
(+2 points on Social scale)
Omnibus Crime Bill, including death penalty, has failed: Opposes topic 8
Strongly Opposes topic 9:
Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws
(+5 points on Social scale)
Three Strikes approach is illusory & dangerous: Strongly Opposes topic 9
Encourage private efforts to fight crime: Opposes topic 9
Strengthen, not reduce, the rights of the accused: Strongly Opposes topic 9
Strongly Favors topic 10:
Absolute right to gun ownership
(+5 points on Economic scale)
Affirm the right to keep and bear arms: Strongly Favors topic 10
Repeal all gun control laws and regulation of weapons: Strongly Favors topic 10
Strongly Opposes topic 5:
More federal funding for health coverage
(+5 points on Economic scale)
Restore and revive a free market health care system: Strongly Opposes topic 5
Government should not be in the health insurance business: Strongly Opposes topic 5
Strongly Favors topic 6:
Privatize Social Security
(+5 points on Economic scale)
Replace the Social Security system with a private system: Strongly Favors topic 6
Privatize Social Security: Strongly Favors topic 6
Strongly Favors topic 7:
Parents choose schools via vouchers
(+5 points on Economic scale)
Let parents control all educational funding: Strongly Favors topic 7
Poor kids end up at worst schools in current system: Favors topic 7
Support a market in education to provide more choices: Strongly Favors topic 7
The state should stay out of education: Favors topic 7
Treat private school funding the same as public schools: Strongly Favors topic 7
Opposes topic 18:
Replace coal & oil with alternatives
(+2 points on Economic scale)
Oppose government control of energy pricing and production: Strongly Opposes topic 18
Gale Norton is ‘giant leap’ for environmental sense: Opposes topic 18
Government is the worst polluter: Opposes topic 18
The parties responsible for pollution should be held liable: Favors topic 18
Strongly Opposes topic 19:
Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it
(+5 points on Social scale)
Repeal all drug laws creating "crimes" without victims: Strongly Opposes topic 19
Allow drugs, alcohol, prostitution, gambling, and suicide: Strongly Opposes topic 19
The war on drugs threatens individual liberties: Strongly Opposes topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20:
Allow churches to provide welfare services
(+5 points on Economic scale)
No welfare & no restrictions on work: Favors topic 20
Non-profits more effective than government at “safety net”: Strongly Favors topic 20
Strongly Opposes topic 11:
Make taxes more progressive
(+5 points on Economic scale)
Repeal the income tax and abolish the IRS: Strongly Opposes topic 11
No taxation or regulation of private property: Strongly Opposes topic 11
Repeal all income taxes, & the 16th Amendment: Strongly Opposes topic 11
Strongly Favors topic 12:
Illegal immigrants earn citizenship
(+5 points on Social scale)
Eliminate all restrictions on immigration: Strongly Favors topic 12
Strongly Favors topic 13:
Support & expand free trade
(+5 points on Economic scale)
Remove governmental impediments to free trade: Strongly Favors topic 13
Reduce taxes, spending, and eliminate controls on trade: Favors topic 13
Abolish all trade barriers and agreements: Strongly Favors topic 13
Strongly Opposes topic 15:
Expand the armed forces
(+5 points on Social scale)
Military should defend against aggression; not world police: Strongly Opposes topic 15
Reduce defense spending by half; just defend the US: Strongly Opposes topic 15
Strongly Opposes topic 16:
Stricter limits on political campaign funds
(+5 points on Economic scale)
Repeal laws which restrict voluntary financing of campaigns: Strongly Opposes topic 16
No opinion on topic 14:
The Patriot Act harms civil liberties
(0 points on Social scale)
(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Opposes topic 17:
US out of Iraq
(-5 points on Social scale)
No U.S. intervention in the affairs of other countries: Strongly Opposes topic 17
Eliminate intervention by US abroad: Strongly Opposes topic 17

Libertarian Party is a Hard-Core Libertarian.
Click here for
explanation of political philosophy.

There are other parties that have candidates running for President this year, such as Chuck Baldwin (Constitution Party), Alan Keyes (American Independent Party), Gloria La Riva (Party for Socialism & Liberation), Frank McNulty (New American Independent Party), and Ralph Nader (Independent).  So far, I haven't been able to find an analysis such as we have had for the Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, and Green Parties.  It appears I'll be posting on the positions of the candidates themselves.  I'm hoping that when finished, all will be able to make an informed vote this November.

 

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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think you'll do well posting on the positions of the candidates yourself. You seem to have done an excellent job covering the Parties. If I were a History or Current Events high school teacher I'd be "Cliff-Noting" them as fast as I could!

Anonymous said...

Thank you Dirk for allyour hard work to help others be informed!  God Bless yoy brother of mine!  Carolyn

Anonymous said...

I spent my lunch time catching up on your entries and I have learned alot!  I was inflamed at some of the information you presented - due to time I didn't comment on each entry.  I can't watch vids here at the office but I am really quite interested in a couple of them so I will view them from home.  Thank you for all the time & effort you put in to the facts.  I had no idea about the Libertarian Party at all.
Lisa

Anonymous said...

You can find the positions of the LaRiva/Puryear campaign (Party for Socialism and Liberation) at http://www.votepsl.org/.

Anonymous said...

dear Dirk
interesting and hard won post
thanks
natalie