Justin Amash's Vision for the Libertarian Party

The Libertarian former congressman on the Mises Caucus takeover, his embrace of "liberalism," and political strategy.

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"I think that the [Libertarian Party's] emphasis should be on getting us back to our roots as a country," says Justin Amash. "What this country is about is liberalism in the classical sense, the idea that people should be able to free…to make their own decisions about their lives, and government to the extent possible should just stay out of it."

Amash was a Republican congressman from Michigan once described by Politico as the "new Ron Paul in Congress" because of his willingness to buck party-line votes on principle. He switched his party affiliation to Libertarian in his fifth and final term, making him the party's highest officeholder since its founding in 1971. He explored a run for the Libertarian Party presidential nomination in 2020 before changing his mind, paving the way for a run by longtime Libertarian Party member Jo Jorgensen.

Amash was in Reno, Nevada during the Mises Caucus takeover of the Libertarian Party. Amash is not a member of the caucus but plans to remain in the party.

Reason's Nick Gillespie sat down with Amash in Reno to ask him about his views of the Mises Caucus, his vision for the future of the party, and his political ambitions for 2024 and beyond.

Produced by Nick Gillespie and Zach Weissmueller; edited by Adam Czarnecki and Danielle Thompson; camera by James Marsh and Weissmueller; sound editing by John Osterhoudt; additional graphics by Regan Taylor and Isaac Reese.