This page tries to collect all the various criteria that PlatCom members have suggested they would use to evaluate Platform proposals.

* 12: avoids extremist/destinational language/rhetoric that makes our party and candidates easy to ridicule
* 10: starts with a clean sheet of paper (i.e. not necessarily keeping any of the 15 current planks)
* 9: is written to resonate with the views of the 16% to 20% of voters who polls show fall into the libertarian quadrant;
* 9: should be silent on abortion
* 8: focuses on 5 to 15 issues important to voters in the next election cycle or two;
* 8: is ideologically broad enough for the vast majority of Libertarians to stand on comfortably;
* 8: highlights the idea of decentralizing/defederalizing most federal programs
* 7: focuses on policy initiatives that are feasible in the next 5 to 15 years;
* 7: helps educate Libertarians in developing a comprehensive Libertarian philosophy;
* 7: should be significantly shorter than recent Platforms;
* 7: tries to state our positions in positive language about what we support, rather than in negative language about what we oppose;
* 6: avoids laundry lists about what legislation, agencies, and court decisions we oppose;
* 5: makes destination and transition implicit in broad principles explaining what the Bylaws mean by "a libertarian direction" in public policy;
* 5: is written to resonate with the views of the most liberty-friendly 34% of voters;
* 5: consistent with the major [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism schools of libertarianism] without endorsing one of them as best;
* 5: is silent on issues on which more than 10% - 20% of Denver delegates would vehemently disagree;
* 5: explains the justification and benefits of our positions in a way the average voter can understand;
* 5: avoids echoing Republican-style rhetoric about the severity of the threat of Islamist terrorism;
* 5: should not be silent on abortion
* 4: has comprehensiveness approaching the pre-Portland Platform
* 4: describes and advocates a society without any government coercion whatsoever;
* 4: avoids expanding our the Platform's description of our common ground with issue complaints, theoretical justifications, and marketing promises;
* 4: avoids policy coverage gaps (e.g. abortion, RTKBA, GLBQT) that wouuld likely alienate Libertarian interest groups;
* 3: includes formal sections for both ideal destination and transitional actions;
* 3: confines itself to policy initiatives that are consistent with the Constitution (as properly interpreted) that our candidates are required to swear to uphold;
* 3: includes specificity about what legislation, agencies, and court decisions we oppose;
* 2: takes a stand against the threat to our liberty from Islamist terrorism
* 2: avoids new language that could attract disagreement or quibbling from delegates;
* 2: is written to resonate with the views of the most liberty-friendly 51% of voters;
* 2: promotes innovative voluntary ways to reduce pollution;