Please take a few moments to complete the following LP platform questionnaire so that your answers can be considered in time for the Platform Committee's upcoming. &nbspThank you in advance for taking the time to help with this very important task. Please note that any field marked with an "*" is a required field.

* 1. Platforms serve both internal and external purposes. &nbspWhich of the following more closely represents your opinion about what should be the principal purpose of our party platform?

a) Our platform should be more of an externally-focused document to market our party to voters.  b) Our platform should be more of an internally-focused document to guide our candidates.

* 2. Our platform will be read by those who are familiar with our ideas and those who are not. &nbspWho do you believe should be our principal target?

a) We should target individuals unfamiliar with (or even opposed to) our ideas so we can educate them on the merits of libertarianism.  b) We should target individuals already sympathetic with our ideas to convince them to vote for our candidates.

* 3. Shorter documents are more likely to be read, while longer documents are more likely to be comprehensive. &nbspIf you had to select only one, which one of the following more closely represents your opinion about the optimal length of our platform?

a) A short platform covering fewer issues.  b) A long platform covering more issues.

* 4. Our platform uses a combination of negative and positive phrasing, i.e. what we oppose and what we champion. &nbspWhich of the following more closely represents your opinion as to the language phrasing that should be used mostly in our platform?

a) We should emphasize what we oppose in government and the harm it causes.  b) We should emphasize what we favor in a free society and the benefits this brings.

* 5. We know that libertarianism is both morally right and improves the lives of the greatest number of people. &nbspWhich of the following more closely represents your opinion as to the language phrasing that should be used mostly in our platform?

a) We should emphasize the moral justification for our views.  b) We should emphasize the utilitarian benefits of our positions to the reader.

* 6. Some people believe our existing platform language can be repaired through a series of amendments. &nbspOthers believe that we need to delete the old language and start anew. &nbspWhich of the following more closely represents your opinion about how to better fix our platform?

a) We should amend the existing language.  b) We should delete the old planks and start from a clean slate.

* 7. Which of the following more closely represents your opinion about how we should address controversial issues where there is not the bylaws-required 2/3 support among our delegates to state one position or another in our platform?

a) The platform should be silent on such issues, only emphasizing areas of internal party agreement.  b) To generate 2/3 support and avoid being silent on such issues, compromise language for the platform should be crafted that acknowledges there is more than one acceptable position.

* 8. Which of the following more closely represents your opinion about how much implementation detail should be included in our platform planks?

a) We should include very little to no implementation detail. State only the general principles and leave it to our candidates to address how to implement them.  b) We should provide comprehensive details on how to implement each plank.

* 9. Some topics are included in a platform because they satisfy an internal party constituency. &nbspSome topics are included in a platform because they will appeal to voters. &nbspWhich of the following more closely represents your opinion about the types of topics that should be emphasized in the platform?

a) We should emphasize topics that are appealing to voters.  b) We should emphasize topics that appeal to internal party constituencies.

* 10. Which of the following more closely represents your opinion as to how far-reaching plank language should be?

a) We should be destination oriented, describing how we want society to ultimately appear.  b) We should be directionally oriented, emphasizing what Libertarian officeholders can reasonably achieve over the next few years.

* 11. Which of the following more closely represents your opinion as to how we should handle subjects for which mainstream Libertarian thought is at odds with what most voters want?

a) We should be silent on those issues.  b) We should state our positions on those issues.

* 12. Please indicate the conventions that you have previously attended.

a) 1972 Denver  b) 1975 New York  c) 1977 San Francisco  d) 1979 Los Angeles  e) 1981 Denver  f) 1983 New York  g) 1985 Phoenix  h) 1987 Seattle  i) 1989 Philadelphia  j) 1991 Chicago  k) 1993 Salt Lake City  l) 1996 Washington, D.C.  m) 1998 Washington, D.C.  n) 2000 Anaheim  o) 2002 Indianapolis  p) 2004 Atlanta  q) 2006 Portland  r) None of the above

* 13. Will you be attending the 2008 national convention in Denver as a delegate?

a) Yes, I’ve already bought my convention package.  b) I haven't bought my package yet, but will definitely be attending as a delegate.  c) I will probably be a delegate at the Denver convention.  d) It depends solely on whether I get one of my state party’s limited delegate seats.  e) I would like to but can’t afford the trip.  f) Undecided / Maybe.  g) No, I do not expect to be a delegate at the Denver convention.

14. Please feel free to write any other comments you have here.

powered by phpQuestionnaire