What are the differences between Libertarians and Moderates?
The biggest difference between libertarians and moderates usually lies with each type's commitment to principles/ideals on the one hand and pragmatism/practical matters on the other. Libertarians tend to gauge issues through a lens of maximizing people's autonomy and reducing the initiation of violence (whether by individuals or the state). By contrast, moderates tend to think of political matters on an issue-by-issue basis and tend to be more pragmatic than principled. Moderates usually think that idealism is hard to execute and try to think of politics in terms of measures that check too much theoretical abstraction or doctrinaire commitments.
How are Libertarians and Moderates similar?
Because moderates can "lean" in any of the other four directions, libertarians and moderates only have similarities to the extent that moderates lean libertarian on a given issue.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Dimension | Libertarian | Moderate |
|---|---|---|
| Role of Government | Minimize coercive power; force legitimate only in defense of individual rights | Flexible: sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on the issue |
| Approach to Politics | Principled: derive positions from consistent first principles | Pragmatic: evaluate each issue on its own merits |
| Economic Policy | Free markets, low or no taxes, minimal regulation | Mixed: open to free markets and targeted regulation |
| Personal Freedom | Maximum: oppose all victimless crime laws | Generally supportive, but open to restrictions case by case |
| Attitude Toward Compromise | Compromise is acceptable on tactics, not on principles | Compromise is the essence of good governance |
| Attitude Toward Ideology | Committed to a specific framework of individual rights and voluntary cooperation | Skeptical of all comprehensive ideologies |
| Attitude Toward Tradition | Skeptical: tradition isn't automatically wise | Respectful of institutional wisdom without being deferential to it |
| Relationship to Major Parties | Often critical of both; distinct political identity | Frequently in the center of one or both parties |
| Core Commitment | Individual rights and voluntary cooperation | Practical problem-solving and democratic consensus |
| View of the Status Quo | Tolerable only where it respects individual rights | Generally acceptable as a starting point for incremental improvement |
Key Figures
Prominent Libertarian Thinkers
Prominent libertarian thinkers and leaders include Murray Rothbard (1926-1995), F.A. Hayek (1899-1992), Milton Friedman (1912-2006), Ayn Rand (1905-1982), and Ron Paul (1935-). For more, see our full treatment of libertarian thought and history.
Prominent Moderate Thinkers
Prominent moderate thinkers and leaders are harder to identify than thinkers from any of the other political types, because moderation is a disposition rather than a school of thought with a founding text or canonical figures. That said, several thinkers and political figures are associated with the moderate tradition: Aristotle (384-322 BC), whose emphasis on the "golden mean" gave moderation its classical philosophical grounding; James Madison (1751-1836), principal architect of the U.S. Constitution and the checks and balances that were designed to moderate political passions; Dwight Eisenhower (1890-1969), whose presidency exemplified postwar American moderation; Daniel Patrick Moynihan (1927-2003), the U.S. Senator whose intellectual rigor made him a model of moderate public service; and Jonathan Haidt (1963-), whose The Righteous Mind provides a contemporary case for taking multiple moral perspectives seriously rather than committing to a single ideology. For more, see our full treatment of moderate political thought.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you be both libertarian and moderate?
In a sense, yes, but it requires clarity about what the terms mean. A person can hold libertarian principles while adopting a moderate tone, avoiding dogmatism, and being open to evidence about whether libertarian policies produce the claimed results. A person can also be an "ideologically moderate libertarian" who holds libertarian positions less strictly than more committed libertarians. But pure libertarianism and pure moderation are doing different things (applying principles versus weighing evidence) and a person fully committed to one is not also fully committed to the other.
Are moderates the silent majority in American politics?
Polling consistently shows that more than 40% of Americans identify as political independents, and many of those independents hold moderate views. Whether moderates constitute a "silent majority" depends on how you define the term. In terms of self-identification, moderates are a large plurality or near-majority of the electorate. In terms of having a coherent shared political philosophy, moderates are less coherent than libertarians, progressives, or conservatives because they lack a shared set of principles. They share a disposition, not a platform.
Why isn't there a moderate political party?
Several attempts to build moderate political parties or movements have been made in recent decades: the Forward Party, No Labels, the Problem Solvers Caucus, and others. None has achieved the durable influence of the two major parties. Part of the reason is that moderation, as a disposition, does not produce the kind of coherent agenda that voters can rally around. A libertarian party can offer "less government across the board." A progressive party can offer "more government to address inequality." A moderate party has to offer "the right amount of government depending on the issue," which is harder to campaign on. Another part of the reason is structural: American electoral rules favor two-party competition, and moderates tend to accommodate themselves to the center of one of the two existing parties rather than starting a third party.
Who is more influential in American politics, libertarians or moderates?
In terms of elected officials and policy outcomes, moderates are more influential, because they control the decisive votes in Congress and the decisive voters in general elections. In terms of intellectual influence and movement-building, libertarians have been disproportionately influential relative to their numbers, because a committed principled movement can shape debates that unorganized moderate centrists cannot. Both are powerful forces in American politics in different ways.
Is "moderate" the same as "independent"?
Not quite. Political independents are people who do not belong to a political party. Many independents hold moderate views, but some are quite ideological; they simply choose not to affiliate with a party. Conversely, some moderates are registered Democrats or Republicans who hold centrist positions within their party. The two categories overlap significantly but are not identical.
Are You Libertarian or Moderate?
Find out in less than 5 minutes by taking the World's Smallest Political Quiz.