From:
A Strategic Plan for the Libertarian Party,
Affiliated State Parties,
and their Affiliates
Final Report of 20 December 2001
Executive Summary
SPT recommends that the LNC adopt a multi-year strategic plan for the purpose of
achieving progress toward six goals in support of the LP's mission:
- Goal 1: Increase the number of Libertarians holding public office[1]
- Goal 2: Strengthen Libertarian Party state and local organizations
- Goal 3: Increase the Libertarian Party's support base (members,
contributors, and volunteers/activists)
- Goal 4: Increase the Libertarian Party's market share among youth
- Goal 5: Increase public awareness of, acceptance of, and support for
Libertarian ideas
- Goal 6: Remain the Party of Principle as we grow
Along with each goal, SPT recommends adoption of metrics and or monitors. Metrics
constitute targeted levels of achievement which can be measured to determine whether
the implementation of the strategic plan is achieving those targets. Monitors constitute
measurable levels of achievement for which no specific target is presented because of
lack of benchmark data or because the measured values may not be directly controlled
or influenced by the LP at its present size and composition.
In support of these six goals, SPT recommends that the LNC adopt the following
strategies, and that the LNC recommend these strategies to its affiliates:
- Strategy 1: Define, develop, and promote the LP brand
- Strategy 2: Develop and use high-quality presentations of Libertarian
ideas, which present both direction and destination, to support the work of
affiliates, campaigns, the national party, and individuals
- Strategy 3: Redevelop the Libertarian Party Platform, presenting both
direction and destination, with an eye toward electoral success without
compromising core beliefs
- Strategy 4: Track the performance of core and critical activities in state
and local Libertarian Party organizations; encourage and support these
organizations in creating and executing plans to improve performance
- Strategy 5: Define and codify relationships between (and expectations
among) national, state, local, and campus Libertarian Party organizations
- Strategy 6: Expand and strengthen Libertarian Party organizations at
levels other than the affiliate level (e.g. local, city, county, campus)
- Strategy 7: Recruit more and better qualified candidates
- Strategy 8: Target races and allocate resources for maximum
effectiveness
- Strategy 9: Coordinate campaign activities within and among campaign
levels
- Strategy 10: Increase the number of new people comprising the
Libertarian Party's support base
- Strategy 11: Increase the commitment of those already within the
Libertarian Party's support base
- Strategy 12: Strive to achieve a left/right balance among the Libertarian
Party support base
- Strategy 13: Provide training, training materials, and training support to
Libertarian Party candidates and campaigns (e.g., campaign methods),
Libertarian organizations (e.g., organizational matters), and individuals
(e.g., communications skills).
- Strategy 14: Develop and implement an internal program of ideological
education
- Strategy 15: Target public opinion leaders to embrace and espouse
libertarian ideas
- Strategy 16: Target existing independent groups to act in support of
Libertarian Party efforts and provide opportunities for us to spread our
message
- Strategy 17: Encourage state, local, and campus Libertarian Party
organizations and our entire support base to be involved in political
processes at all levels outside of campaigns and elections
- Strategy 18: Focus resources to achieve the repeal of drug prohibition at
the federal level by 2010 and get substantial credit for it
- Strategy 19: Develop an awareness that success requires adequate
resources of all sorts
- Strategy 20: Motivate the Libertarian Party support base to increase
activism by recognizing and rewarding both effort and success and by
making involvement in the Libertarian Party an enjoyable, positive
experience
In support of each strategy, SPT presents a number of tactics which are intended to
demonstrate the feasibility of implementing the strategy. Because much of the
implementation of this strategic plan is dependent upon acceptance and support by the
LP’s affiliated state parties and their affiliates[2], SPT does not recommend that
implementation be limited to the listed tactics. Rather, SPT hopes that state and local
LP organizations will elect to support this strategic plan and will determine for
themselves which tactics are most appropriate and effective for themselves.
This report includes a discussion of third-rail issues – issues which have the potential to
be divisive within the LP’s membership. Classification of an issue as a third-rail issue
was not intended to convey a sense that the membership was evenly split on the issue.
Rather it recognized that a significant number of members passionately hold opposing
views on certain issues and that care must be taken to avoid loss of support for
whatever strategic plan SPT recommends.
Additionally, there is an extensive SWOT[3] analysis demonstrating that the strategies
proposed by SPT meet the following four criteria:
- The proposed strategies build on identified strengths of the LP
- The proposed strategies seek to remediate identified weaknesses of the
LP
- The proposed strategies seek to take advantage of opportunities available
to the LP
- The proposed strategies attempt to minimize exposure to threats to the LP
A prospective planning cycle is also presented for consideration.
[1] In this report, the term "Libertarians" refers to members of the Libertarian Party
and "libertarians" refers to individuals who hold viewpoints generally consistent with
those held by the Libertarian Party.
[2] SPT recognizes that not all affiliated state parties have LP organizations under
them. In this report, the term "affiliates" in the context of affiliates of a affiliated state
party includes chapters, districts, regions, affiliates, clubs, and any other LP
organizations established beneath affiliated state parties.
[3] SWOT is an acronym standing for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and
Threats.