Join the discussion: How libertarian is Utah?

In this Jan. 28, 2012 file photo, Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, campaigns in Freeport, Maine.

Robert F. Bukaty, Associated Press

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After years of political obscurity, libertarianism is finally having its day, at least according to The New York Times Robert Draper.

Libertarians, who long have relished their role as acerbic sideline critics of American political theater, now find themselves and their movement thrust into the middle of it, he wrote as part of the August cover for The New York Times Magazine.

According to Draper, shifting attitudes toward issues such as same-sex marriage, government surveillance, marijuana decriminalization, foreign intervention, military spending (though, attitudes seem to be swinging back toward interventionism in the weeks since Drapers article) and even reduced sentencing for minor drug offenders prove that the ideology once reserved primarily for third parties is emerging as a major force in American politics.

But while Drapers story focuses almost exclusively on the trends of national politics, as Tip O'Neill famously said, all politics is local. So whether or not Drapers assessment of the Libertarian Moment is correct (The Atlantics David Frum certainly doesnt think so), its worth considering the prospects of libertarianism in the state of Utah.

Regional politics

As far as definitions are concerned, libertarianism is typically understood to be the belief that government should interfere as little as possible in the lives of citizens. As an ideology, libertarianism can manifest itself in more organized capacities for example, an official Libertarian Party was founded in 1971 or as simply an ideological leaning within either of the existing major parties. Either way, those who claim libertarianism in either form are often uncomfortable with increased federal or state power, and hold self governance up as the standard for societal success.

In many ways, Utah seems like a prime state to accept a place in Drapers emerging libertarian America. In a 2013 article by The Washington Posts Reid Wilson, historian Colin Woodard outlined what he thought to be 11 American nations identified according to the unique political landscapes of all the major regions in America. The far West, according to Woodard, encompasses the Great Plains and the Mountain West, which includes Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming and Montana, as well as much of Colorado, Washington, California, New Mexico, the Dakotas and Nebraska.

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Join the discussion: How libertarian is Utah?