Liberals, Conservatives, and Libertarians: What’s the Difference?

Liberals, Conservatives, and Libertarians: What's the Difference?
by Jacob G. Hornberger
Friday, November 5, 2010

People sometimes ask what the differences are between liberals, conservatives, and libertarians.

The primary differences are moral and philosophical.

Libertarians believe that people should be free to live their lives any way they choose, so long as their conduct is peaceful.

Liberals and conservatives believe that people should be free to live their lives any way they choose, so long as their conduct is responsible.

Libertarians believe that the primary purposes of government are to protect people from the violence of others (e.g., murderers, rapists, thieves, and invaders) and to provide a forum (i.e., a judiciary) in which people can peacefully resolve their disputes.

Liberals and conservatives believe that the primary purposes of government are to take care of people, to regulate and control people's activities and to manage the economy, and to police the world through an extensive military empire.

To demonstrate the practical differences between liberals, conservatives, and libertarians, here is where most liberals, conservatives, and libertarians stand on a variety of governmental programs, departments, and agencies.

(Of course, it's always possible to find exceptions within each group. For example, Bill Buckley, a conservative, opposed the drug war but everyone would agree that most Republicans in Congress support it. Liberals Glenn Greenwald and the ACLU oppose infringements on civil liberties but everyone would agree that most Democrats in Congress support them. Moreover, while liberals and conservatives agree on the programs and departments, there might be vehement disagreements between them as to who should run them and how they should be run.)

                          Liberals & Conservatives                   Libertarians
Social Security          Support                    Oppose
Medicare                          Support                    Oppose
Medicaid                          Support                    Oppose
Public Schooling                  Support                   Oppose
Income Taxes & the IRS  Support                   Oppose
Welfare                           Support                    Oppose
Food Stamps              Support                    Oppose
Subsidies                         Support                    Oppose
Bailouts                          Support                    Oppose
Foreign Aid                       Support                    Oppose
Occupational Licensure  Support                   Oppose
Minimum Wage             Support                    Oppose
Economic Regulations    Support                    Oppose
The Postal Monopoly     Support                    Oppose
Trade Restrictions               Support                    Oppose
Immigration Controls    Support                    Oppose
Public Works             Support                    Oppose
Paper Money              Support                    Oppose
Legal Tender Laws                Support                    Oppose
The War on Drugs                  Support                   Oppose
Gun Control                       Support                    Oppose
The War on Terrorism    Support                    Oppose
Foreign Wars             Support                    Oppose
Wars of Aggression       Support                   Oppose
Undeclared Wars          Support                    Oppose
The Standing Army                Support                    Oppose
Military-Indtrl Complex Support                   Oppose
Overseas Military Empire         Support                   Oppose
Coups                     Support                    Oppose
Assassination            Support                    Oppose
Torture                   Support                    Oppose
Immunity for Illgl Srvllnc      Support                    Oppose
Frndly Frgn Dctrshps    Support                    Oppose
Infrngmnts on Cvl Lbrts Support                   Oppose
The Patriot Act          Support                    Oppose
Military Tribunals               Support                    Oppose
Occptns Iraq & Afghnstn Support                   Oppose
Dept of Education                Support                    Oppose
Dept of Commerce        Support                    Oppose
Dept of HHS              Support                    Oppose
Dept of Energy           Support                    Oppose
Dept of Hmlnd Security  Support                   Oppose
Dept of HUD              Support                    Oppose
Dept of Labor            Support                    Oppose
Dept of the Interior             Support                    Oppose
Dept of Agriculture              Support                    Oppose
Dept of Transportation  Support                   Oppose
Dept of Ntnl Intelligence        Support                   Oppose
The CIA                   Support                    Oppose
The FBI                   Support                    Oppose
The IRS                   Support                    Oppose
The DEA                   Support                    Oppose
The Federal Reserve     Support                    Oppose
The Border Patrol                Support                    Oppose

http://www.fff.org/blog/jghblog2010-11-05.asp