Throughout the twentieth century, American libertarians have been drawn again and again to identify with the political right, a tendency known as fusionism. Many factors have contributed to this, including opposition to the New Deal and Great Society, opposition to communism abroad, and similar approaches to issues like gun control and taxes.

Yet a broader view shows a more complicated picture: Libertarians’ 19th-century roots are clearly on the left; most of the important 20th-century libertarian activists were aloof from the Republican Party; and quite a few issues separate libertarians from the political right. Not all of these center on drugs, either. Libertarians are notably more anti-interventionist in foreign policy. They commonly favor easier immigration. And they are skeptical of state-orchestrated projects to create a virtuous citizenry, whether on the Christian model or any other. (It’s not entirely unfair to mention that many of us have been influenced by Ayn Rand. As a result, we are skeptical about God and government alike.)

In recent years, the libertarian-conservative alliance has felt a good deal of strain. The last Republican administration was absolutely no one’s idea of libertarian government, and the conversations about how to fix the GOP after its electoral defeat haven’t always been so encouraging either.

Still, many on the right are quite open to libertarian ideas, including Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky and Represenative Justin Amash of Michigan. A new, more libertarian-leaning Republican Party could breathe new life into fusionism. Or not. We stand at a crossroads.

To discuss the present and future of fusionism, we’ve invited at team of young activists of varying viewpoints. Our lead essayist is Jacqueline Otto, who write for the American Enterprise Institute’s Values and Capitalism project. Joining her will be Jeremy Kolassa of United Liberty, Jordan Ballor of the Acton Institute, and Clark Ruper of Students for Liberty.