The Declaration of Independents
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| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subject | Libertarianism in the United States |
| Published | June 28, 2011 |
| Publisher | PublicAffairs |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 288 |
| ISBN | 978-1-58648-938-0 |
| OCLC | 657595596 |
The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong with America is a 2011 non-fiction book by American political writers Matt Welch and Nick Gillespie. Welch is the former editor-in-chief of Reason, a position Gillespie also held from 2000 to 2008. The authors discuss the nature and influence of libertarianism in the United States.[1] It is published by PublicAffairs, an imprint of the Perseus Books Group.[2]
The title is a pun referring to both the U.S. Declaration of Independence[3] and independent voters.
The authors criticize contemporary American politics and the two-party system of Republicans versus Democrats. They argue that the emphasis on a horse-race between figures on either side is essentially pointless since in their view both parties fundamentally act the same way. They write that a system in which "a majority, however slim, acquires the right to control the lives and property of the minority" creates ever more government spending and control over individuals.[2]
They write, "To assume that the hungry will starve, the naked will go unclothed, and the ignorant will remain uneducated if government spending declines as a percentage of GDP is as misguided as assuming no one would go to church absent a state religion."[3]
