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Free State Project

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Free State Project
FormationSeptember 1, 2001
HeadquartersNew Hampshire, United States
Membership
13,000+
Official language
English
President
Carla Gericke
Websitefreestateproject.org

The Free State Project (FSP) is a political movement, founded in 2001, to recruit at least 20,000 libertarian and anarchist-leaning people[1] to move to a single low-population state (New Hampshire, selected in 2003) in order to make the state a stronghold for libertarian ideas.[2] The project seeks to overcome the historical ineffectiveness of limited-government activism by the small, diffuse population of activists across the 50 United States and around the world.

Participants sign a statement of intent declaring that they intend to move to New Hampshire within five years of the drive reaching 20,000 participants, or other self-selected triggers. As of June 2011, more than 1,000 FSP participants have become "early movers" to New Hampshire, in that they have made their move prior to the 20,000-participant trigger.[3] As of November 2012, over 13,000 people have signed this statement of intent and more than 1,100 have moved. [4] In 2010, at least 12 "Free Staters" (early project movers) were elected to the 400-member New Hampshire House of Representatives.[5]

The Free State Project is a social movement generally based upon decentralized decision making. A control group that performs various activities, but most of FSP's activities depend upon volunteers, and no formal plan dictates to participants or movers what their actions should be in New Hampshire.

Intent

The FSP mission statement, adopted in 2005, states:

The Free State Project is an agreement among 20,000 pro-liberty activists to move to New Hampshire, where they will exert the fullest practical effort toward the creation of a society in which the maximum role of government is the protection of life, liberty, and property. The success of the Project would likely entail reductions in taxation and regulation, reforms at all levels of government to expand individual rights and free markets, and a restoration of constitutional federalism, demonstrating the benefits of liberty to the rest of the nation and the world.[6]

"Life, liberty, and property" are rights that were enumerated in the October 1774 Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress[7] and in Article 12 of the New Hampshire state constitution.[8]

To become a participant of the Free State Project, a person is asked to agree to the Statement of Intent (SOI):

I hereby state my solemn intent to move to the state of New Hampshire. Once there, I will exert the fullest practical effort toward the creation of a society in which the maximum role of civil government is the protection of life, liberty, and property.

Eligibility

The FSP is open to people with a minimum age of 18. U.S. citizenship is not required. People who promote violence, racial hatred, or bigotry are not welcome in the FSP.[9]

History

The Free State Project was founded in 2001 by Jason Sorens, then a Ph.D. student at Yale University.[10] Sorens published an article in The Libertarian Enterprise highlighting the failure of libertarians to elect any candidate to federal office, and outlining his ideas for a secessionist movement, and calling people to respond to him with interest.[11] The movement has, since then, come to emphasize secessionism much less strongly, with Sorens publishing a note in the journal to this effect in 2004.[11] Sorens has stated that the movement continues an American tradition of political migration, which includes groups such as Mormon settlers in Utah, and Amish religious communities.[12]

File:FSP Gadsden Flag.gif
The flag of the Free State Project, a modified Gadsden flag

The organization began without a specific state in mind. A systematic review started by narrowing potential states to those with a population of less than 1.5 million, and those where the combined spending in 2000 by the Democratic and Republican parties was less than $5.2 million, the total national spending by the Libertarian Party in that year. Hawaii and Rhode Island were eliminated from this list because of their propensity for centralized government.[13]

In September 2003 the state vote was held. Participants voted using the Condorcet method to choose the state.[14] New Hampshire was the winner, with Wyoming coming in second by a 55% to 45% margin.[14] Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Vermont were also on the list.[12]

New Hampshire was chosen because the perceived individualist culture of New Hampshire was thought to resonate well with libertarian ideals.[15] The Free State Project, however, has drawn criticism from some New Hampshire residents concerned about population pressure and opposition to increased taxation. Republicans[who?], on the other hand, have responded more favorably to the project, because of their espoused agreement on small government.[16]

Ideology and political positions

The Free State Project itself does not take official political positions, support candidates in elections, or support or oppose legislation.[17] The goal of the FSP is to move people to New Hampshire to directly affect political process.[18]

The Free State Project receives its funding from individual donors interested in moving as part of the FSP or attending one of the annual events.[19][20]

Several early movers have been elected to the New Hampshire legislature. In 2006 one of its participants, Joel Winters, was elected to the state legislature, running as a Democrat.[15] He was re-elected in 2008 but defeated in 2010.[21] In 2008, 4 Free Staters were elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives, including Winters, according to group participants.[22] In 2010, at least 12 Free Staters were elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives.[5] In 2012, elected members wrote and passed House Bill 418 which requires state agencies to consider open source software and data formats when making acquisitions.[23]

On December 5, 2012, Free Stater and self-described anarchist Tim O'Flaherty was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives under the Democratic Party ticket, representing Manchester Ward 5.[1]

Annual events

The Free State Project is the official organizer of two annual events in New Hampshire:

  • The New Hampshire Liberty Forum is a convention-style event with a wide variety of speakers, dinners and events.
  • The Porcupine Freedom Festival (PorcFest)[24] is a week-long summer festival that takes place in a camp ground, and it is "like Woodstock for rational people," says Roderick Long.[25] [26]

Responses

On February 17, 2006, economist Walter Block publicly expressed his support for the FSP. He is quoted as saying,

You people are doing the Lord's work. The FSP is one of the freshest practical ideas for promoting liberty that has come out of the libertarian movement in the past few decades. May you succeed beyond your wildest dreams, and thus demonstrate in yet another empirical way the benefits and blessings of liberty.[27]

Jeffrey Tucker reflected about his experiences at the New Hampshire Liberty Forum in Nashua, saying in part

If you are willing to look past mainstream media coverage of American politics, you can actually find exciting and interesting activities taking place that rise above lobbying, voting, graft and corruption.[28]

The project has been endorsed by Ron Paul[29] and Gary Johnson.[30]

In 2010, Lew Rockwell from the Mises Institute endorsed the project. He referred to the city of Keene, New Hampshire as "The northern capital of libertarianism".[31]

In 2011, Peter Schiff said he had considered moving at one point.[32]

Critics argue that the Free State Project is "radical",[33] a "fantasy",[34] or that they "go too far" in seeking to restrict government.[35]

The Free State Project was the centerpiece of the 2012 documentary film Libertopia.[36]

See also

2

References

  1. ^ a b Hayward, Mark (November 14. 2012). "Anarchy in Ward 5? Well, not exactly". Manchester Union Leader. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ Belluck, Pam (October 27, 2003). "Libertarians Pursue New Political Goal: State of Their Own". The New York Times. Retrieved May 26, 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ Live Free or Move
  4. ^ Free State Project. "Membership Statistics". Retrieved 2012-11-06.
  5. ^ a b "For Some Ron Paul Backers, a New Motto: Go East, Young Man (and Woman)". NationalJournal.com. May 10, 2011.
  6. ^ Mission Statement from the Free State Project website
  7. ^ "Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress". Avalon Project. Yale Law School. October 14, 1774. Retrieved 2010-11-11. That the inhabitants of the English colonies in North-America, by the immutable laws of nature, the principles of the English constitution, and the several charters or compacts, have the following RIGHTS: Resolved, N.C.D. 1. That they are entitled to life, liberty and property: and they have never ceded to any foreign power whatever, a right to dispose of either without their consent.
  8. ^ NH.gov constitution
  9. ^ FSP Standard Disclaimer
  10. ^ Larry Clow (October 5, 2005). "The Free State turns two". The Wire.
  11. ^ a b Sorens, Jason (July 23, 2001). "Announcement: The Free State Project". The Libertarian Enterprise. 131.
  12. ^ a b Joanna Walters (October 1, 2003). "Free staters pick New Hampshire to liberate for sex, guns and drugs". The Guardian.
  13. ^ Joseph Spear, "An Experiment in Civic Engagement: The Free State Project", Oklahoma Policy Studies Review, Vol. 5, No. 1.
  14. ^ a b Pete Camp, "Free State Project Picks New Hampshire", Up & Coming Magazine, October 8, 2003.
  15. ^ a b Sarah Schweitzer (November 16, 2006). "Free State Project cheers on one of its own in Winters". The Boston Globe.
  16. ^ Meredith Goldstein, "Free State Project pushes limits of liberty in N.H.", Boston Globe, October 19, 2003.
  17. ^ Introduction to the Free State Project
  18. ^ Frequently Asked Questions About the Free State Project
  19. ^ Total income donations, FSPFY2008Actuals.pdf
  20. ^ Total income donations FSPFY2009Actuals.pdf
  21. ^ List of Nov. 2010 winners
  22. ^ "Ron Paul Republican wins seat in New Hampshire House". RidleyReport. Freestateblogs.net. February 15, 2009.
  23. ^ Slashdot comment by Rep. Seth Cohn
  24. ^ Porcupine Freedom Festival at Facebook
  25. ^ Austro-Athenian Empire
  26. ^ Austro-Athenian Empire
  27. ^ Walter Block's endorsement of the Free State Project. FreeStateProject.org. 17 February 2006.
  28. ^ "Political Migration in Our Time".
  29. ^ "Ron Paul Supports the Free State Project".
  30. ^ "Gary Johnson Endorses the FSP".
  31. ^ "Lew Rockwell Applauds the Free State Project".
  32. ^ "Peter Schiff (Euro Pacific Capital Inc.)".
  33. ^ "The Radical-Right Free State Project Has Chosen New Hampshire For A Revolution". Thinkprogress.org. April 13, 2011. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  34. ^ Steve Trinward. "The Free State Project: good idea or libertopian fantasy?". Rational Review. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  35. ^ "LTE: Free Staters go too far". Concord Monitor. June 28, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2012. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |CSGroupId%3Aapproved%3A19C8561C387F88E53C23A9EFFA92AA0B&CSUserId= ignored (help)
  36. ^ "Libertopia". FilmBuff. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
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