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Within the confines of Foggy Bottom are the smaller, but equally resolute GW College Libertarians and College Socialists.
The GW College Libertarians are new to campus, having had their inaugural meeting last October. The group, which stresses less democracy and more individual liberty, participated in a three-way debate with the College Republicans and College Democrats Wednesday night.
"Luckily, both the CRs and the CDs have been extremely helpful with the organization of this debate," said College Libertarians president Anthony Baumann, a freshman.
Peter Glessing, public relations chair for the College Republicans, said members of the College Libertarians approached his organization about being part of the debate.
The College Republicans said it encourages young political groups to add to the discussion.
"The existence of the College Libertarians on campus provides an opportunity for students with strong anti-government beliefs to find common cause and community," Glessing wrote in an e-mail this week. "The College Republicans look forward to seeing more political activism on campus from the College Libertarians. While we may not always agree, we respect their commitment to their party's principles and appreciate their contributions to political discourse."
The College Libertarians grew out of Facebook messages between like-minded students. The members of the organization are neither conservative nor liberal.
Treasurer Bill Flanigen, a sophomore, described the libertarian philosophy as fiscal conservatism and social tolerance.
"Our goal is to reduce government and promote liberty," Flanigen said. As an extension of this ideology, he said he believes that while the government should have the ability to raise an army, it should be limited to self-defense. Flanigen also said the war on drugs has been a "monumental failure."
