A couple of authors shaped the way I look at governments and politics: Ayn Rand and Robert Heinlein. 'Atlas Shrugged' convinced me that people have to make their own economic decisions and be responsible for their own economic well-being. Heinlein's books reminded me that large organizations, especially governments, are very bureaucratic and don't serve the needs of the individual very well, if at all. They also taught me that indivduals have to be responsible for themselves and that the less government we have the better off we are.
Over the years I've come to the conclusion that the libertarian philosophy is the one that works best for me. My view of it is: 1) the initiation of force is immoral. 2) the use of force in defense of self, family and one's property is justified. 3) that government, by definition, is force. 4) government's only valid purpose is the defense of the rights of it's citizens.
Comparing the above with what our government and our economy have become over the years, I've concluded we no longer have a functioning constitutional republic or a capitalist economy. Mostly this has happened because politicians are more interested in re-election than doing what's right and our population is more interested in safety and comfort than freedom. As a result, we see more social programs, more taxes, more government control over the economy and less freedom. I don't know where this will lead but I fear we'll need a second and possibly a third American Revolution before we can achieve the more ideal situation of very limited government and individual freedom.
Here are links to other liberty-minded organizations: