{"id":11164,"date":"2022-09-29T02:41:45","date_gmt":"2022-09-28T23:41:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/starlanguageblog.com\/?p=11164"},"modified":"2022-09-29T02:41:45","modified_gmt":"2022-09-28T23:41:45","slug":"are-libertarians-left-or-right","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.starlanguageblog.com\/are-libertarians-left-or-right\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Libertarians Left Or Right?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Are Libertarians Left Or Right?<\/span><\/h1>\n
Libertarians are typically “right-wing” because they oppose government interference in people’s private lives and disagree with income redistribution. However, there is considerable debate about how libertarians should be considered part of the right or even an independent group. On the other hand, some libertarians have a firm commitment to individual liberty and are “left-wing” on social issues. In this article, I investigate the extent to which libertarians are left or right.<\/span><\/p>\n
I present three different measures of political position. The first is based on ideology, which is the extent to which people believe in one part or another of a left-right political spectrum. The second looks at an individual’s preferences for redistribution or government intervention in personal life, and the third examines attitudes towards social welfare programs such as entitlements.<\/span><\/p>\n
Libertarians are often categorized as those who prefer a society without government control and prefer to provide services and products through corporations. They believe in free markets, limited government, and protect fundamental rights. They believe that government should not oppress people, restrict their lives, or have a say in their homes.<\/span><\/p>\n
Libertarianism has been characterized as a “right-wing” ideology, but some libertarians argue that it should be considered part of a more general “left wing. So what does the data have to say?<\/span><\/p>\n
\u00a0What do Libertarians Believe?<\/span><\/h2>\n
Libertarians are against government intervention (the right end of the spectrum). They oppose high taxes, big government, and high spending on social programs. But there is a left-right issue in all this. Libertarians want smaller taxes and less government to help the poor and needy. The conservative wants smaller taxes and less government because he thinks it will benefit society (and help the poor, but as a secondary reason).<\/span><\/p>\n
This view is typically called a “right-wing” position. Libertarians are more committed to the classical liberal idea that individuals are free to do pretty much as they please so long as they don’t hurt others (the “night watchman state”). Others may call this a left-wing position since it focuses on freedom rather than social order<\/a> and stability.<\/span><\/p>\n