Classical Liberal Caucus
| Classical Liberal Caucus | |
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| General Information | |
| Chartered: | 2022 |
| Officers | |
| Chair: | Layla Bush |
| Vice-Chair: | Michael R. Lopez |
| Secretary: | Paul Darr |
| Treasurer: | Brett Borden |
| Contact | |
| Website: | Website |
| Social Media | |
| Facebook: | |
| Twitter: | |
| Instagram: | |
The Libertarian Party Classical Liberal Caucus was founded in 2022 by Jonathan Casey and other Libertarians.
About
Over the next few years, the Libertarian Party will have opportunities it could only dream of. With Republicans and Democrats descending into tribalism and authoritarianism, the Classical Liberal message of individualism will resonate that much stronger. We should not squander this opportunity by copying the duopoly, but by providing the strongest possible contrast.
The LP should reject the idea of messaging "to the left" or "to the right". As the GOP and the DNC move towards their extremes, we have an ever-growing center filled with Americans looking for real world solutions. Let the GOP and DNC have their radicals. The Libertarian Party should focus on the majority of Americans: those who see both parties as the problem, not the solution.
That does not mean moderate or timid messaging; it means the opposite. We must move Americans to reject the left/right spectrum and to see the world for what it really is: liberty vs authoritarianism. For the past several hundred years, Classical Liberalism has done exactly that through its passionate defense of individual liberty. That defense, with its proven track record, is our own blueprint to success.
As Americans lose faith in Republicans and Democrats, this is precisely the time for Libertarian candidates to put forward real world solutions to every day problems. We have the answers to crime, housing, cost of living, and healthcare. We must articulate those answers effectively. Voters want solutions to their every day problems; they want to know how to pay their grocery bill, not the economic theory behind why it's so high.
As an organization, we are dedicated to growing the LP, holding the LP to the highest standard of professionalism, finding and developing effective communicators, and providing support and training for LP candidates and affiliates.
The Platform of the Libertarian Party Classical Liberal Caucus
The following are the planks of the platform the Libertarian Party Classical Liberal Caucus:
Statement of Purpose: The purpose of the Classical Liberal Caucus is to advance and protect the principles of Liberalism in the Libertarian Party.
By promoting the activism and candidacy of Classical Liberals in the Libertarian Party, we will strive to hold it to the principles of philosophers such as Frederick Douglass, Thomas Paine, Frédéric Bastiat, John Locke, and Friedrich Hayek.
Preamble: THE SOLE PURPOSE OF GOVERNMENT is to protect the inherent natural rights of the individual. Those rights include, but are not limited to, life, liberty, property, expression, and the pursuit of happiness. There is no better way to preserve and promote those individual rights than the Rule of Law, freedom of international movement and trade, economic freedom, peaceful foreign policy, and sound monetary policy.
RULE OF LAW should be preserved by abolishing any laws that do not protect one person’s life, liberty, or property from direct harm by another, or restrict a person’s ability to protect themselves and others. Carceral punishment and the death penalty are unjust, and a just system should focus on restoring those harmed, not perpetuating harm. Policies that remove essential due process and inhibit the ability of our system to provide justice, such as excessive cash bail, coercive plea bargaining, and qualified immunity, should be abolished.
FREEDOM OF INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT AND TRADE allows peaceful persons and goods to cross borders. National immigration quotas, limits on temporary work visas, protectionist tariffs, and other measures such as the Jones Act are not necessary for national security, produce negative economic effects, and are harmful to human liberty.
ECONOMIC FREEDOM allows individuals to hire, buy, sell, and trade, without hindrance. Restricting the sale of products or services through barriers to entry and other impositions, such as Occupational Licensing, barrier crime laws, Certificates of Need, retail licensing, and restrictive zoning, are a violation of property rights.
PEACEFUL FOREIGN POLICY opposes foreign wars and entanglements, and supports pursuing diplomatic solutions wherever possible. Our military should be brought home and refocused on the defense of the citizens of the United States. Tariffs and economic sanctions impose immense economic costs, fail to achieve their stated policy goals, and foster political dysfunction.
SOUND MONETARY POLICY funds the government voluntarily, reduces it to its smallest functional size, and ends its monopoly on currency. Taxes on production, such as the income tax, are particularly burdensome, and ending those should be a priority.
DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES protect the right of individuals to peacefully petition and alter their government without need for violence. Redistricting, voting systems, and voting methods must ensure equal and fair representation for a republican form of government, while protecting the constitutional rights of political minorities.
RESPECT FOR HUMAN DIGNITY promotes a culture of tolerance in which people are judged as individuals and demands equal treatment of everyone by the government. Prejudice and dehumanization only serve to empower the state, and are the first step in taking away liberty. Liberty is both cosmopolitan and universal; it belongs to everyone, everywhere, all the time.
Executive Committee
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Layla Bush | Chair |
| Michael Lopez | Vice-Chair |
| Paul Darr | Secretary |
| Brett Borden | Treasurer |
| Trevor Miles | At-Large |
| Bill Redpath | At-Large |
| Josh Marcinek | At-Large |