For the first time in the four year history of the Liberty Index, we have repeat winners in the both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. In the Senate, Robert Smith (Rep., N.H.) returned to the top spot, with an average score of 80; and, in the House, Dana Rohrabacker (Rep., Cal.) did likewise, with an average score of 84.
     The Liberty Index consists of two scores: one in the area of economic liberties, and the other in the area of civil liberties. Twenty "key votes" were identified in each area from the "roll call" votes tracked by Congressional Quarterly.

Rollcall Votes
     In the area of economic liberties, key votes covered environmental, energy, industrial, labor, and trade policies, taxation, regulation, and spending.
     In the area of civil liberties, key votes covered school choice, gun ownership, rights of the accused, privacy, freedom of association, immigration, drug policy, draft registration, interventionism, and public financing of campaigns, broadcasting and the arts.

Rating Leaders
     As would be expected, Republicans did much better than Democrats in the area of economic liberties. In the Senate, the average Republican score was 66 (on a scale of 100, with the scores adjusted so that the average of the entire house is about 50), whereas the average Democrat score was 34. In the House of Representatives, the average Republican score was 69, and the average Democrat score 36.
     What may be surprising is that Republicans also did better in the area of civil liberties, although the superiority in this area of voting was smaller. In the Senate, the average Republican score was 56, and the average Democrat score 46; and, in the House of Representatives, the average Republican Score was 58 versus an average Democrat score of 42.
     It must be remembered that the contemporary liberal definition of civil liberties differs markedly from the classical liberal definition, and even from the liberal definition of but a generation ago.
     To give just one example: Pre-McGovern liberal Democrats, as well as classical liberals, supported equal rights. However, contemporary liberals support hiring preferences.
     This isn't to say that contemporary conservatives have whole-heartedly embraced the libertarian philosophy. While many Republicans in both the Senate and the House of Representatives are classified as "libertarians," this is mainly due to the fact that the scale is a relative one, comparing members of Congress to each other.
     While there has been some encouraging movement, it's best to say that, although Republicans may now be somewhat better than Democrats in the area of civil liberties, we who have libertarian sensibilities still have our work cut out for us.

Clifford F. Thies e-mail

Past Chairman, Republican Liberty Caucus
Professor of Economics and Finance
  at Shenandoah University