Heaving reached the conclusion that the Republican Party is out of the question, what is a libertarian activist to do?

The first option is to drop out of politics entirely. Whether the action is the lack of voting, or the active participation in non-state methods of promoting freedom and liberty, the decision is made that the political arena is not a proper vehicle for change. In this situation the libertarian activist has moved to the fringes of anarchism, which has a relationship to libertarianism similar to the relationship between communism and socialism. The radical anarchist, perhaps more intellectually consistent than the moderate libertarian, promotes change through avenues other than politics.

The radical anarchist is right to question the logic of depending on the government to bring about the freedom and liberty of less government. People far too often forget that freedom and liberty are not creations of government, but rather the natural order of humanity. This is the folly of "liberventionists" who trust the government to spread democracy in the Middle East, or promote an "opportunity society" through the support of an investor class. While many anarchists are right to turn to anti-statist means of change, they ignore the dangers of the state working against such efforts. If freedom and liberty are being fostered by individual activists, we must also be on guard against attempts by the state to ruin the crop. In a democracy, it is possible for activists to work within the political system to ensure that the state is kept partially in check while anti-state alternatives develop and grow. We can do this even while realizing that mere political participation is not sufficient for change.

The second option is to work within the Libertarian Party, despite the dismal prospects for success. From a peak in 1980, the Libertarian Party has undergone a slow decline in its ability to attract voters in presidential elections. Today, there is disagreement over the specifics of how many Libertarians have been elected to state and local positions. The Green Party also claims to be the largest third party in these United States, and I have also seen claims put forth by the Constitution Party to this distinction. When the victor of most elections comes from one of the two major parties, why argue over who is in third place? The Libertarian Party, like most minor parties, flounders in this two party duopoly.

The Libertarian Party will continue to flounder despite the best efforts and good intentions of party activists. The changes necessary for the Libertarian Party to grab public attention are largely outside the control of the average activist. A vast expansion of financial resources, dramatic reform of ballot access laws, greater media exposure, participation in electoral debates, and specifically an increase in the positive nature of media coverage are all necessary for successful elections. The Internet allows for easier fund raising and has reduced dependency on the establishment media, but it remains to be seen if this will be enough to change the Libertarian Party's predicament. While reserving the right to support especially promising Libertarian Party candidates, the libertarian activist may wish to find ways to organize and operate within one of the two major parties.

Which brings us to the third option, activism within the Democratic Party. On civil liberties, social rights, and foreign policy, the Democratic Party is far more accommodating to libertarian ideas than the neoconservative Republican Party. A major issue that divided libertarians from the Democratic Party in the past, the 2nd Amendment, has become less of an issue. In 2004, Governor Howard Dean ran on a platform that was both pro-gun rights and anti-Iraq War. Senator Russ Feingold, a leading voice of opposition to the Bush Administration, also came out against the renewal of the assault weapons ban. While some statists in the party remain committed to gun control, the Democratic Party is far less monolithic in support of such measures than the Republican Party is monolithic in support of intolerance and imperialism.

Activism within the Democratic Party should primarily take the form of voting in the Democratic Party for the most libertarian option. Through an organization such as the Democratic Freedom Caucus or the Freedom Democrats blog, activists can organize in support of libertarian-leaning candidates and strive to push the party in a more pro-freedom and pro-liberty direction, particularly on economic issues. As I have noted in the past, Badnarik's showing in 2004 was dismal, but if he had operated within the Democratic presidential primary he could have received support in several early primary states of 5% or more.

While this showing is still small, it is arguable that the level of media attention given to a libertarian in the Democratic primary would be higher than that given in the general election as a Libertarian Party candidate. During the presidential primary, even long shots like Al Sharpton and Dennis Kucinich were given a place at the debates. Many libertarian activists favor political action as a way of educating voters; the Democratic primary is a better arena for reaching out to voters than the general because the media consistently ignores minor parties. The libertarian Democrat could focus on the common ground between libertarianism and the Democratic base on civil liberties, social rights, and foreign policy, while also making a case for free markets and less government on economic issues. Already, several Democratic candidates have adopted libertarian economic positions, such as former Senator Mike Gravel's support of the Fair Tax, or Pete Ashdown's support of a Flat Tax. In the past, liberal Governor Jerry Brown in his 1992 Presidential bid supported the abolition of the Department of Education.

These three options are not exclusive. An activist may continue to support non-state means of promoting liberty and freedom, vote in the Democratic Party primary for the most libertarian-leaning candidate, and occasionally vote for the Libertarian Party candidate if they cannot tolerate the eventual Democratic nominee. At Freedom Democrats, we have a deep respect for activists that continue to operate within the Libertarian Party. We are, after all, working for the same goals, only through different means. But we also hope that you may wish to join us in supporting libertarian Democrats.