U.S. libertarians, tea party aren’t conservative cousins, survey says

CHICAGO — Most American libertarians do not consider themselves part of the conservative tea party movement despite a public perception that the two political groups are linked, according to a survey released Tuesday.

Libertarians, who generally support maximizing individual rights and minimizing the role of government, differ sharply with the tea party and religious conservatives on issues such as abortion, according to the survey by the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute.

Sixty-one percent of libertarians do not identify themselves as part of the tea party, the survey showed. About 7 percent of adults are consistently libertarian, and that includes 12 percent of those who describe themselves as Republicans.

“There’s largely agreement on economic issues — the gap is in how libertarians approach social issues,” said Robert Jones, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute, which conducts an annual American Values Survey.

Ninety-six percent of libertarians oppose President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, compared with 89 percent of Republicans. But nearly 60 percent of libertarians oppose making it more difficult for a woman to get an abortion, while 58 percent of Republicans and those affiliated with the tea party favor such restrictions, the survey found. Percent who favor increasing the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10 All Americans Libertarians Tea party Percent who favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry legally All Americans Libertarians Tea party Percent who favor making the use of marijuana legal All Americans Libertarians Tea party Percent who oppose making it more difficult for a woman to get an abortion All Americans 57% Libertarians 57% Tea party 39%