is anybody else noticing a rise in libertarianism among high school students?

i am about to finish 12th grade, and over the last 2-3 years i have noticed that a lot of young people in my area are having more libertarian views. The generations before ours, the baby boomers and generation x, seemed to have become more liberal in their late teens, so this seems like a change that maybe 30 or 40 years down the road could make the libertarian party, if not a major first or 2nd party, at least be somewhat influential in the political process.

i just wanted to knwo if this was true throughout the nation or i am just being crazy

These things happen when you have a president posting record low approval ratings.Palax

These things happen when you have a president posting record low approval ratings.Palax

Because it's the cool thing to hate... I mean, of course the teens actually care.

I am also in 12th grade, and I am seeing much more liberal views in teens today, though most of it is ignorant and uneducated liberalism. They all think everything should be ok, and the government should give everyone money. Funny, I live in a very conservative state, too. Those ignorant today all turned out to be conservatives, and now a switch is being made.

Personally, I'm part of your libertarian rise you speak of, but not because of anyone else at all, except maybe John Stossel. I've done much studying and analyzing the world, and I just find the libertarin vision for America is the one which best envisions the intent of our founding fathers and embraces our future and modernity.

and I just find the libertarin vision for America is the one which best envisions the intent of our founding fathers and embraces our future and modernity.

BoG_

I am also in 12th grade, and I am seeing much more liberal views in teens today, though most of it is ignorant and uneducated liberalism. They all think everything should be ok, and the government should give everyone money. Funny, I live in a very conservative state, too. Those ignorant today all turned out to be conservatives, and now a switch is being made.

Personally, I'm part of your libertarian rise you speak of, but not because of anyone else at all, except maybe John Stossel. I've done much studying and analyzing the world, and I just find the libertarin vision for America is the one which best envisions the intent of our founding fathers and embraces our future and modernity.

BoG_

I really like John Stossel too. I have seen three of his videos. Greed is Good, Stupid in America: How We Cheat Our Children, and the oen where he went to the Soviet Union. They were great and they changed the way i though about economics, which in my opnion is the motivation for everything (only thing karl marx ever said that was right). I have also been influenced by people like John Locke, Voltaire, Thomas Jefferson (as a thinker not as a president), and Mark Twain.

It's just a buzzword that has caught on lately

People interpret it the way they want

Well, look at the current state of the two major parties. Bush's approval rating is through the floor, and the only thing lower is the approval rating of the Democrat-contolled Congress.famicommander

You're right, everything will change soon. We can't all be polarized to the libertarian views! quick, everyone join the constitution party!

I think younger people tend to be more liberal, since forever.blackngold29

My highschool was actually pretty republican when i was a student there. Plenty of chanting "4 more years" during the last Presidential election. I think it's all dependant on locale and environment, so anecdotal evidence wont cut it here.Tolwan

i live in texas, which is the biggest republican state. in 2004 i saw the same thing, people chanting four mour years and blindly supporting bush, but that has changed.

[QUOTE="Tolwan"]My highschool was actually pretty republican when i was a student there. Plenty of chanting "4 more years" during the last Presidential election. I think it's all dependant on locale and environment, so anecdotal evidence wont cut it here.JulesMclain

i live in texas, which is the biggest republican state. in 2004 i saw the same thing, people chanting four mour years and blindly supporting bush, but that has changed.

Aye, like i said, it's all based on the environment and such. Highschool kids dont actually have a valid opinion. I know, i use to be one. They generally go with the flow. They like to jump on bandwagons and can be easily influenced. If the teachers are really hammering their views (This is more common in college) that can also be a contributor to highschool opinion. With Bush having low ratings, it's probably a lot easier for everyone to jump against him and bash him because everyone else is doing it, so you dont have to worry about people disagreeing with you.

There are plenty of valid reasons not to like bush, but highschoolers generally dont have valid reasons for their opinions :P

[QUOTE="Palax"]These things happen when you have a president posting record low approval ratings.Manutebecker

No, not really. People tend to become disenchanted when you have terrible leadership, and it can lead to a new perception of politics.

[QUOTE="JulesMclain"]

[QUOTE="Tolwan"]My highschool was actually pretty republican when i was a student there. Plenty of chanting "4 more years" during the last Presidential election. I think it's all dependant on locale and environment, so anecdotal evidence wont cut it here.Tolwan

i live in texas, which is the biggest republican state. in 2004 i saw the same thing, people chanting four mour years and blindly supporting bush, but that has changed.

Aye, like i said, it's all based on the environment and such. Highschool kids dont actually have a valid opinion. I know, i use to be one. They generally go with the flow. They like to jump on bandwagons and can be easily influenced. If the teachers are really hammering their views (This is more common in college) that can also be a contributor to highschool opinion. With Bush having low ratings, it's probably a lot easier for everyone to jump against him and bash him because everyone else is doing it, so you dont have to worry about people disagreeing with you.

There are plenty of valid reasons not to like bush, but highschoolers generally dont have valid reasons for their opinions :P

though i do generally think you are right about high school students. i think thats being a bit unfair. i did not become a libertarian because i saw some ron paul 2008 banner. and i thinkt hat the high school kids who are following bandwagons are generally obama supporters. i see a lot mroe obama "supporters" at my high school. i do believe that high school studetns are generally sutpid, but i think people are as a whole and stupidity is present in all age groups. Though i think that people are individually smart that is one of the reasons i have become a libertarian over the years because i think society should emphasize the individual and not the collective

also i do not disapprove of bush because its whats cool to do. i disapprove of him because i feel he has alienated people like me (who were voting age at the time of course) who supported him on the basis that he would reduce the size of government and get them out of our lives. notice how i didnt say the words iraq, or stupid in those last two sentences, which is what the bandwagon bush haters tend to say

I don't really pay any attention to what other highschoolers think, or anyone under 18 for that matter.

The whole "next generation of voters" idea hasn't kept pace with their actual level of care. Most kids I know don't vote, so maybe that's why I don't care.

i am about to finish 12th grade, and over the last 2-3 years i have noticed that a lot of young people in my area are having more libertarian views. The generations before ours, the baby boomers and generation x, seemed to have become more liberal in their late teens, so this seems like a change that maybe 30 or 40 years down the road could make the libertarian party, if not a major first or 2nd party, at least be somewhat influential in the political process.

i just wanted to knwo if this was true throughout the nation or i am just being crazy

JulesMclain

marijuana and parents not teaching their kids proper values.

[QUOTE="JulesMclain"]

i am about to finish 12th grade, and over the last 2-3 years i have noticed that a lot of young people in my area are having more libertarian views. The generations before ours, the baby boomers and generation x, seemed to have become more liberal in their late teens, so this seems like a change that maybe 30 or 40 years down the road could make the libertarian party, if not a major first or 2nd party, at least be somewhat influential in the political process.

i just wanted to knwo if this was true throughout the nation or i am just being crazy

Montaya

marijuana and parents not teaching their kids proper values.

So, it's marijuana and bad parenting that leads to people having more Libertarian views? Wow, what an odd perception of reality to have.

I'm in South Florida.

Yeah, it's still solid for liberalism. If anything it is on the rise here.

marijuana and parents not teaching their kids proper values.

Montaya

may as well add "racial integration" in there while you're at it.

Not really. No. That said it's probably a fad.

[QUOTE="Tolwan"][QUOTE="JulesMclain"]

[QUOTE="Tolwan"]My highschool was actually pretty republican when i was a student there. Plenty of chanting "4 more years" during the last Presidential election. I think it's all dependant on locale and environment, so anecdotal evidence wont cut it here.JulesMclain

i live in texas, which is the biggest republican state. in 2004 i saw the same thing, people chanting four mour years and blindly supporting bush, but that has changed.

Aye, like i said, it's all based on the environment and such. Highschool kids dont actually have a valid opinion. I know, i use to be one. They generally go with the flow. They like to jump on bandwagons and can be easily influenced. If the teachers are really hammering their views (This is more common in college) that can also be a contributor to highschool opinion. With Bush having low ratings, it's probably a lot easier for everyone to jump against him and bash him because everyone else is doing it, so you dont have to worry about people disagreeing with you.

There are plenty of valid reasons not to like bush, but highschoolers generally dont have valid reasons for their opinions :P

though i do generally think you are right about high school students. i think thats being a bit unfair. i did not become a libertarian because i saw some ron paul 2008 banner. and i thinkt hat the high school kids who are following bandwagons are generally obama supporters. i see a lot mroe obama "supporters" at my high school. i do believe that high school studetns are generally sutpid, but i think people are as a whole and stupidity is present in all age groups. Though i think that people are individually smart that is one of the reasons i have become a libertarian over the years because i think society should emphasize the individual and not the collective

also i do not disapprove of bush because its whats cool to do. i disapprove of him because i feel he has alienated people like me (who were voting age at the time of course) who supported him on the basis that he would reduce the size of government and get them out of our lives. notice how i didnt say the words iraq, or stupid in those last two sentences, which is what the bandwagon bush haters tend to say

...Ron Paul is a republican...An old fashioned one that shares many views of the Libertarian Party, but still a republican.

And Libertarians are both liberal and conservative; more liberal on social issues, more conservative on government spending and state's rights. In really simplified terms, libertarians belive that the government should leave people alone in some cases, even so far as to have privitized police forces and roads.

[QUOTE="blackngold29"]I think younger people tend to be more liberal, since forever.famicommander

most groups are more conservative than the current Republicans on fiscal issues. it's during the Bush administration that we had to raise our national debt ceiling just to get by.

[QUOTE="blackngold29"]I think younger people tend to be more liberal, since forever.famicommander

Pretty true right there.

I think that Libertarian fiscal policy is pretty sick if you ask me. If I were to sum it up in a phrase it'd be:

"NO, I'VE GOT MINE SO **** OFF!!!!"

But I respect their social policies. One's business, really IS ones business. Government has no place in my life, your life or anyone elses life.

These things happen when you have a president posting record low approval ratings.Palax

i think that most libertarians i know arent doing it just to be anti government. they are doing it to because they honestly believe that government cant help us and that we should start to help ourselves instead of relying on the government, and mostly everybody i know is pretty much socially liberal.JulesMclain