Free State Project

The Free State Project (FSP) is a plan to have 20,000 or more liberty-oriented people move to a single state of the United States, where they intend to influence local political policy. As of April 25, 2003, 3,373 people had tentatively agreed to move to a state, which will be chosen by democratic vote once 5,000 people have joined the project.

Once in the new state, members will work within the political system to reduce the size and scope of government through reductions in taxation and regulation, reforms in state and local law, an end to federal mandates, and a restoration of constitutional federalism.

The states under consideration are Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Idaho, and Maine. These states have been chosen due to their low populations, relatively pro-libertarian native cultures, lack of dependence on federal funds, and decent job markets.

Inspired by an article published on July 23, 2001 that argued that the current thinly scattered libertarian activism was failing and that it would be necessary for libertarians to geographically concentrate their efforts in order to achieve "liberty in our lifetime," the Free State Project was founded on September 1, 2001.

When the membership total reaches 5,000, using Condorcet's Method, which is an electoral process based on a ranking of choices, the state will be selected from the ten listed above and when the membership total reaches 20,000, a five year migration period will begin.

Insignia of the FSP

The porcupine signifies a cute and cuddly creature which one is advised to avoid stepping on. This seems to imply that the FSP is friendly, but will defend itself.

External Link

FreeStateProject.org (http://www.freestateproject.org/) (Official Site)

See also: libertarianism, Libertarian Party