Part of the confusion, especially these days, has to do with disagreements over the very basics of what constitutes Freedom/Liberty.


For example take the idea of public schooling.

To a Libertarian public schooling is a vile thing. Simply Evil. The government is robbing them of their money. Their freedom is being directly restricted because they are not free to do with their money as they wish. Such as buying indentured servants.

To a Progressive the idea of denying a subset of the population any access to schooling would be an example of oppression and a limiting of their freedoms and Liberty. Certainly if these uneducated masses were bought as indentured servants they would consider that clearly as a case of restriction of freedom.

There are other ways to look at the issue as well. For example reducing the amount of people with an education means less competition in the educated workforce, and a smaller educated workforce at any rate. This likely weakens the nation as a whole, and may reduce the affluence of everyone.


As for the political parties they are more "democratic" than they seem because they shift and bend with the times. In other countries Neocons, "real conservatives", paleoconservatives, and a couple other groups might be separate entities. Instead they, along with Libertarians at the presidential level, fight it out within the Republican party. If one group, or any single issue, swings with the majority of different subgroups that's how the Republican party as a whole will realign itself.

Same with the Democrats.

In this way, over time, the parties have evolved greatly.

This is why third parties have such a hard time. If people who supported green party stances made up a majority the Democratic party would simply shift to match their political desires.

Similarily if Libertarians held a majority the Republican party would shift to them.

Therefore any splinter third party is going to be a minority and will generally only be good for spoiling the presidential election. Though they can hold other offices well enough.