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Table 3

Libertarians as Percentage of Voting-Age Population

2002

2003

2004

2005

Percent libertarian

9

11

9

13

Source: Authors' calculations from Gallup Governance Survey 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005.

Note: Our questions screen for libertarian respondents and were not intended to classify other respondents as liberal,

conservative, or other.

moral standards, even if they are very dif-

ernment should not favor any particular set

ferent from our own. (Do you agree

of values," and "federal government has too

strongly, agree somewhat, neither agree

much power" were classified as libertarian.

nor disagree, disagree somewhat, or dis-

Using that narrower screen (and only the

agree strongly with this statement?)

four most recent governance surveys), we

find the results shown in Table 3.

The libertarian

Only those respondents who said "the less

The American National Election Studies

vote is substantial

government the better," "the free market can

data also allow us to identify libertarians in

handle these problems," and strongly agreed

the electorate. ANES has asked the same ques-

and growing.

or agreed that "we should be more tolerant"

tions for 15 years. We used these questions:

were classified as libertarian. The results we

· Next, I am going to ask you to choose

found using those three questions to screen

respondents over the past 15 years are shown

which of two statements I read comes

in Table 4.

closer to your own opinion. You might

Finally, we used three questions from the

agree to some extent with both, but we

Pew Research Center Political Typology survey:

want to know which one is closer to

your own views: ONE, The less govern-

· Government is almost always wasteful

ment, the better; or TWO, There are

more things that government should be

and inefficient; OR, Government often

doing?

does a better job than people give it

·

credit for.

ONE, We need a strong government to

· Government regulation of business is

handle today's complex economic prob-

lems; or, TWO, The free market can

necessary to protect the public interest;

handle these problems without govern-

OR, Government regulation of business

ment being involved.

usually does more harm than good.

·

· The government should do more to pro-

We should be more tolerant of people

who choose to live according to their own

tect morality in society; OR, I worry the

Table 4

Libertarians as Percentage of Electorate

1990

1992

1996

2000

2004

Libertarians as % of voting-age population

9

9

11

13

13

Libertarians as % of reported voters

12

12

14

15

27

Source: Authors' calculations based on American National Election Studies, various years.

Note: ANES surveys are taken after the election and attempt to identify actual voters in the just-completed election.

10