Representing a bridge between diverse traditions within the Left-wing of the political spectrum, posts at Freedom Democrats can sometimes include references to obscure and arcane political ideologies. Even more common terms like "libertarian" or "liberal" can become confusing if people don't agree on meanings. Please explore the links at the top of the website to find out more about ideologies and ideas frequently discussed at Freedom Democrats.

Are all libertarians classical liberals?

In the American context, most libertarians will talk about a tradition of liberty and limited government based on principles we inherited from Britain. Not only does this include the broader rhetoric of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but specific developments like habeas corpus, trial by jury, and the common law. The idea is that loyally following these principles will promote a free and prosperous society. Deviation from these principles represents a decline in our liberty and a descent into serfdom. Some self-described libertarians or classical liberals argue that the United States enjoyed a golden age of liberty during the 19th century and we are now worse off for having deviated from this founding principles enshrined in the Constitution.

At FreedomDemocrats.org, we take a slightly different perspective on British and American liberty. We embrace the term libertarian as a way to distinguish our views from those who call themselves classical liberals based on the Anglo-American tradition. After the Glorious Revolution of 1688, a system that can be best described as "administrative anarchy" hindered the British state and its ability to govern the lives of its subjects in a way that France and other continental powers did. Not only did Britain lack a large bureaucracy to carry out the will of the government, it adopted a very efficient method of taxation following its wars against France in the late 17th Century and early 18th Century. As a result of high taxes on imported French spirits, British domestic production grew and provided substantial revenues to the state through excise taxes. This created a system similar to value added taxes that are born by consumers and allowed Britain to collect resources without creating too much of a drain on the economy as a whole. Britain did not develop a large professional civil service that would enable it to closely monitor and regulate the actions of its people. The result, a relatively free and prosperous Britain, was largely an accidental and secondary development. In fact, British liberalism had many structural failures that over time showed itself to be ill-suited to the cause of limited government. Unlike anarchism, which sees no role for the state, liberalism accepted that there were some situations in which the state had a role to play. But liberalism did not have a strong philosophy explaining when and where this was necessary and when and where an expanded role for the state was unnecessary. Over time, this created a slippery slope in which each new generation adds to the responsibilities of the state and existing programs are not repealed or reformed.

In the United States, FreedomDemocrats.org disagrees with the mythology of the Constitution an ideal representation of limited government or libertarianism. We agree with other high profile libertarians who have criticized the nostalgia of a "golden age of lost liberty" that never really existed, especially for women and racial minorities. The American political figures involved in the Revolution and the writing of the Constitution had concerns beyond just limited government and the emerging liberal thought of the day. They shared a republican mindset that stressed the importance of avoiding corruption in government and mob-ruled that produced politics driven by emotion and not reason or logic. These concerns produced a government with separation of powers, a federalist division of power and authority between a national government and the states, staggered terms for the Representatives, Senators, and President, and a Supreme Court with lifetime appointment. While this system works to reduce the ability of popular majorities to radically alter government, which was a primary concern for the Founding Fathers, it has not done much over the long term to reduce inequalities in access to state power and prevent a continued collusion between the state and the wealthy elite.

As libertarian Democrats, aren't you just apologists for big government liberalism?

As libertarian Democrats, FreedomDemocrats.org is organized around the belief that the best chance for a freer America is through the Democratic Party and not the Republican Party or a third-party effort. We are ultimately opposed to organizing through the Republican Party because we believe it is irredeemably corrupted by the two greatest threats to liberty: the social, cultural, and religious oppression promoted by the "Religious Right" and the corrupting influence of wealthy special interests groups ranging from Wall Street to war contractors to Big Oil. And we recognize that the current political system in the United States favors a two-party system, even if we disagree with the fairness behind this outcome. But by viewing the Democratic Party as the last, best hope for liberty we are not, however, apologists for any and all Democrats and the policies individual Democratic politicians may support. We can and will voice our disagreements with President Obama and the Democratic Congress.