In Search of the Libertarian Moment









4 thoughts on “In Search of the Libertarian Moment

  1. FWIW, I don’t care for Pew’s foreign policy question. “Active in world affairs” could mean diplomacy and trade agreements.

    In addition, I’m not surprised many people don’t know what “libertarian” means. Way back in 1960, Converse found many voters didn’t have consistent political attitudes at all, and since then surveys have always found large minorities of respondents who think Democrats are the conservative party and Republicans the liberal party, etc.

  2. It doesn’t help that a lot of “libertarian”-leaning politicians favor government restricting/outlawing abortions. Oh, government shouldn’t be interfering, but, but, BUT. If you’re truly a libertarian, WHICHEVER WAY YOU PERSONALLY LEAN, you fund all the “PSA” ads you want, but you don’t cry out to the government to have it your way.

  3. That “libertarian moment” article was weird. If this era, with its monstrously expensive and intrusive, metastasizing government is libertarian then, well, hope is lost.

    However, I think there is some reason to think that we will be moving in the right direction. Which facts do I think justify these beliefs? Behold:

    1. Economic “fundamentals” are the dominant variable that structures our electoral outcomes.

    2. Many of our economic results are stuck in a depressed equilibria. I’m thinking of GDP growth, participation in the labor market, number of new businesses, etc.

    3. This lowers the levels of optimism and trust in government of the electorate.

    4. As successive Republican and Democratic governments fail to substantially improve the economy, the window of conceivable policy options opens. Stuff stinks so the appetite for change grows. (If nothing else, the electorate stays restless for a longer time and that allows social movements to gain enough adherents to overcome veto points.)

    In other words, I believe in a sort of “libertarian Leninism” (e.g., “the worse, the better). As the electorate grows restless and impatient with the government, there will be a reservoir of dissatisfaction for policy entrepreneurs to tap into.

    One of the keys to increased libertarianism will be allowing some latitude to state and local solutions. Tax competition and Tiebout choice should exert a modest influence in our favor.

    Finally, we’re running out of money! Who’s going to pay those gigantic overpromised pensions? Once we set the rent-seekers against each other, the ensuing bloodbath will be fantastic. (The recent sequester made my heart cry with happiness.)

    Anyway, if the US doesn’t work out, I’m thinking about emigrating to Newt’s Lunar Colony or medieval Iceland.

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