Washington Post: Survey on Libertarians; Ignores Greens

The Washington Post reported a few days ago on a survey of libertarians in the US, strangely in the religion section. That may be a result of the source, the Public Religion Research Institute.

Of course the Post put the typical media spin, headlining that libertarian numbers are small, with “only” 7% as “consistent libertarians” and downplaying that another 15% lean libertarian, making nearly 1/4 of the US population. And somehow they managed to do this article without quoting or apparently even speaking with any actual libertarians or libertarian-leaning individuals.

The article also continues the Post’s practice of snubbing the Greens. The survey itself notes roughly equal numbers for “consistent communalists” and those who “lean communalist,” which presumably describes Greens. It even uses a graphic with communalists being colored green:

The survey’s scoring methodology raises other questions:

Respondents who scored generally low across this set of nine questions—indicating preferences for low government intervention in the international arena, in economic policy, and in issues related to personal liberties—were classified as libertarian. At the other end of the scale, respondents who scored generally high across these questions—indicating preferences for higher government intervention even at the cost of some personal liberties—were classified as communalist.

By this logic communalists support foreign wars and the war on drugs, something that seems contrary to what the progressives and Greens say.