On December 9, 2014, high school students in Polk County are invited to a mock caucus hosted by the Republican and Democratic Parties. The Libertarian Party does not hold caucuses and was not invited to be part of this event. Yet, in the mock elections held on November 4, 2014, Libertarians did very well. The Libertarian candidate for 3rd District U.S. House of Representatives even came in second in one classroom vote reported on by the Council Bluffs Nonpareil.
To help Social Studies teachers answer questions raised by their students about Libertarians, the political process, and civic involvement, a teacher’s guide is being made available. If you are a teacher in Iowa and would like a Libertarian to talk with your class, please send an email to Keith@LPIA.org.
What is a Libertarian? A Libertarian, with a capital L, is a person associated with or identifying with the Libertarian Party. People labeled by pollsters, news media, or themselves as libertarian, with a small l, may or may not be Libertarians. Similarly, people who are not considered to fit within the common political definition of lowercase-l libertarian, may be Libertarians.
Is the Libertarian Party a Political Party? The Libertarian Party runs candidates for political office in order to influence legislation and policy as elected officials. The Libertarians have a national party, state parties, and county groups. Individuals participating in the Libertarian Party have opportunities to learn skills vital to elected officials. These include skills in leadership, mediation, and management. Within this colloquial definition, the Libertarian Party is a political party equal to the Republicans and the Democrats.
If not by caucus, how does the Libertarian Party select candidates? The Iowa caucuses are simply gatherings of individuals who vote on the candidate they prefer to represent a party in the campaign. The nominee of each party is officially selected at a national convention and the delegates to that convention are selected through a process involving district and state conventions. Similarly, the Libertarian Party selects its presidential candidate at a national convention. The Libertarian Party of Iowa holds a state convention at which a preferential-candidate poll and elections for delegates to the nomination convention are conducted.
Why do Libertarians wait until August to run candidates? It is a misrepresentation that Libertarians do not run for office until August. Under Iowa law, only Republicans and Democrats can file in March to be candidates due to the primary elections they hold. All other candidates, including candidates running on the Libertarian Party ticket, must wait until late July-early August to file their papers. However, as with Democrats and Republicans, Libertarians may announce their intention to seek an office and start campaigning before filing the papers necessary to appear on a ballot. The media coverage given to the primary elections and the official recognition of candidacy bestowed upon an individual when nominating papers are filed in March consequently overwhelm awareness of other candidates and their political parties until August.
How can a student or other person become involved with the Libertarian Party? An individual has many ways to be involved with any political party, whether it is the Democrats, Libertarians, or Republicans. The simplest activity is merely to vote for the candidate of a party. The most complex involvement is to serve on the governing committee for the party.
These are just a few of the questions people have asked about the LPIA.
