Ross Tilchin at The Brookings Institution has collated poll data about the leanings of the various factions with the Republican Party. As libertarian philosophy becomes a growing influence within the party, Tilchin wonders how well libertarian Republicans might work with conservative Christians and Tea Party Republicans. Tilchin thinks that libertarians may see limits to their influence within the party because religion tends to play much less of a role in their lives than in the lives of the other two factions:
While these groups are similarly conservative on economic matters (indeed, libertarians are further to the right than white evangelicals or Tea Partiers on some economic issues, such as raising the minimum wage), they are extremely divided by their views on religion. Only 53% of libertarians describe religion as the most important thing or one among many important things in their lives. By comparison, 77% of Tea Party members say that religion is either the most important thing or one among many important things in their lives, and – not surprisingly – 94% of white evangelicals say that religion is either the most important thing or one among many important things in their lives. A full 44% of libertarians say that religion is not important in their lives or that religion is not as important as other things in their lives. Only 11% of Tea Party members and 1% of white evangelicals say that religion is not important in their lives. Additionally, libertarians are among the most likely to agree that religion causes more problems in society than it solves (37% total: 17% completely agreeing, 20% mostly agreeing); the least likely to agree that it is important for children to be brought up in a religion so they can learn good values (35% total: 13% completely disagree, 22% disagree); and the least likely to think it is necessary to believe in God in order to be moral and have good values (63% total: 30% completely disagree, 33% mostly disagree). These stark differences in attitudes toward religion help explain the large difference in view between libertarians and other conservatives on social issues such as abortion, physician-assisted suicide, and marijuana legalization. Given their positions on these contentious social matters, it is very difficult to envision Libertarians gaining the support of socially conservative voters in the Republican Party.
Read the whole piece here. It also explores the simple mathematical problem of libertarians being outnumbered by the other two factions of the Republican Party in all regions of the country.
I take slight issue with the analysis, though perhaps not the conclusion. What's left out is the very libertarian idea that just because libertarians don't see religion as an important component to their own lives, that doesn't mean we would object to others who decide otherwise. And believing that "religion causes more problems in society than it solves" should not be taken to mean that a libertarian believes the government should implement policies in a pursuit to "fix" these problems.
Obviously there is disagreement, but it's not actually, literally about faith. The disagreement is about the extent of and justifications for the use of government force. To say that religious beliefs should not be used to determine whether it should be legal to get an abortion or get married is not to say that people shouldn't use religion to make these decisions for themselves in their own lives.
Given the libertarian rejection of government coercion, who else is better suited to even approach these issues with social conservatives? Who outside of libertarians is arguing in favor of same-sex marriages getting the same legal recognition as heterosexual marriages, while at the same time arguing that no church should be obligated to recognize them, nor should any business be dragooned into providing goods and services for them?
Reason
Rather than seeing libertarians in opposition to social conservatives, it's more helpful to see libertarians as allies in protecting the civil liberties of the religious even as they lose cultural influence. Libertarians may not be able to "take over" the Republican Party (not that they should stop trying), but the party itself may be in deep trouble if these factions cannot find points of agreement.
Over at The American Conservative, W. James Antle III today takes note at how Sen. Rand Paul is attempting to promote noninterventionist messages and drug policy reform ideas to Christian conservatives.
Reason has frequently debated where libertarians fit in the political world of the reds vs. the blues. Here's a discussion from 2010.
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