The Conservative vs. Libertarian Take on the U.S. Constitution

"We're seeing profound disagreements among conservative legal activists over what the Constitution means," explains Reason Magazine Editor Damon Root. "One of the things we are seeing are conservatives and libertarians disagreeing."

In a new video created by the New York based nonprofit 92nd Street Y, Root argues that where traditional conservatives prefer a powerful state built to preserve settled norms, libertarians are more aggressive in striking down laws that infringe on personal freedom. "There is a small island of government power and it's surrounded by a sea of individual rights. That's the libertarian view and I think that is the correct view."

Approx. 2:40 minutes

For more on this topic, read Conservatives v. Libertarians: The Debate Over Judicial Activism Divides Former Allies (Reason, July 2010)

Subscribe to ReasonTV's YouTube Channel to receive automatic updates when new stories go live.