Libertarianism's growth

In the 1980's, libertarianism grew substantially more popular and gained considerable influence in Republican administrations, though at the national level, the Libertarian party still fared poorly. However, in the 2000's, libertarian ideas have some influence on other parties; for example, as of late, some Republicans are seriously proposing eliminating the IRS and income tax. Also, George W. Bush's "personal accounts" for Social Security are modeled in part upon "privatization" proposals long supported by some libertarian groups like the Cato Institute as a means of dismantling the social safety net .[1] Other achievements hailed by libertarians in the last few decades include:

Milton Friedman

• Many trade barriers have been lifted, reducing what most libertarians argue are unneeded interferences with functioning markets and the right to use one's property as one sees fit.
• Milton Friedman and Alan Greenspan have exerted considerable influence over monetary policy in favor of libertarian goals.
• Ronald Reagan popularized libertarian economics and anti-statist rhetoric in the United States and passed some reforms, though many libertarians are ambivalent about his legacy. The libertarian Reason Magazine interviewed Reagan in 1975 and discussed some areas of overlap and disagreement. [2]
• In the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Margaret Thatcher had much the same effect.
• Some of what libertarians consider victimless crimes such as sodomy have been decriminalized in the United States (see Lawrence v. Texas)
• Some states and local governments have relaxed laws on marijuana use and medical marijuana, though libertarians argue that the War on Drugs still constitutes one of the greatest threats to liberty in the United States as a whole.
• There are many (self-described) libertarian celebrities and libertarian figures in politics and the media
• Ayn Rand's popularity has greatly enhanced interest in libertarian ideas

Despite these and other victories, most libertarians consider current governments to be very unlike their ideal governments; in the United States, policies like the War on Drugs and the expansion of entitlements like Medicare lead some libertarians to believe that the government is more intrusive now than when libertarianism first gained political influence.