Mises Caucus Core Values and Culture

For some time, there has been interest in the influence of the so-called Mises Caucus on the Libertarian Party.  Recently, Third Party Watch was supplied by an anonymous source with a series of documents, which we believe to be authentic, outlining the organization and structure of that group.  Over the next few days, we will present a series of these documents here without extended editorial comment.

PURPOSE

This document describes the foundational culture and standards of behavior we expect from the leadership of the Mises Caucus and its members. Consider this a “best practices guide” that has been built up over years of observation, as well as our own trial and error. We understand that when we write down our core values, guiding concepts, and best practices for conflict resolution, that we are describing a perfect ideal. Nobody can always live up to all of them perfectly, but they are what we cultivate and work towards as a culture.

“The world shifts itself around your aim, you are a creature that has an aim. You *have* to have an aim in order to do something. You look at a point and you move towards it; it’s built right into you. Lets say your aim is the highest possible aim, that sets up the world around you. It organizes all of your perception. It organizes what you see and you don’t see. It organizes your emotions and your motivations. So you organize yourself around that aim and then what happens is the day manifests itself as a series of challenges and problems that if you solve them properly, you stay on the pathway towards that aim and you can concentrate on the day. You can point into the far distance and live in the day. That makes every moment of the day supercharged with meaning. If everything you’re doing every day is related to the highest possible aim that you can conceptualize, that’s the very definition of the meaning that will sustain you in your life.” —Jordan Peterson

CORE VALUES

The following are three core values that the Mises Caucus expects its members and leaders to embody. Anyone who is a part of the Mises Caucus at any level should self evaluate and evaluate others on the basis of these three things, in this order: Character, Principles and Work Ethic. While they are all indispensable, in our experience some are more important than others.

CHARACTER

Character is the highest priority because we are working in politics, which is conflict between people that falls short of violence. Being able to trust the person in the proverbial trenches with you is paramount. It is untrustworthy or low character individuals who are consistently those that undermine or destroy good work and organizations. We should all aim to be trustworthy at all

times—in other words, we want to be able to count on the fact that our words and intentions with each other are true and in good faith. Also, we should attribute the best intentions to each other until clear evidence to the contrary emerges. This culture of trust creates a stable foundation on which our organization can operate. Always be aimed at the truth.

In the abstract realm of ideas, the clarity, justification and perfection of one’s principles is the most important attribute. However, in the realm of activism working with other people and dealing with different situations, personal character becomes a more critical value. Libertarianism —respect for the natural rights of others—is the starting point for morality when interacting in society and for many it is a major personal discovery that changes their view of the world and themselves, but it is not sufficient to manage interpersonal relationships or navigate difficult situations. Libertarianism does not remove the human element from our interactions with others and how they perceive us. It doesn’t tell us how to be self-aware, apologize for mistakes, negotiate differences, and so on. The outside world also puts a high value on character (at least the people we want to appeal to and work with do). Without character, nobody is going to care what our ideas are, nor can we even trust each other as colleagues. Character is the basis for trust, and trust provides the stable ground from which we can work and talk together in good faith. There can be no healthy culture if the character of the people generating that culture is poor. Character sets the tone for everything that follows.

PRINCIPLES

Principles are the second highest value—a very close second—because without agreeing on principles we aren’t even working towards the same ends, and may also disagree on the means to get there. Principles are what unite us and guide us toward common objectives. Individual Liberty, Decentralization, Austrian Economics, and Peace are all examples of our principles.

To remain relevant and effective, any libertarian organization must be based on clear principles. Therefore we expect our members and team leaders to adhere to our Platform. Differing principles leads to different goals and different means of achieving those goals. In order for our organization to be coherent and driving towards our goals of liberty and private property ethics, our members and leadership must agree on where we are going. The Mises Caucus is not asking its members and leaders to completely embrace anarcho-capitalism (self-identified anarcho-capitalists don’t agree on everything anyway). Instead, we created a Platform that we believe embodies the basis of libertarian ethics, so that we can work together without compelling people to adopt stances on controversial matters. Our aim in limiting our requirements to these few issues is to gather around major issues we agree on, and to set aside what we don’t for the sake of getting work done. Our leaders and members are free to disagree on and discuss those areas outside of our Platform, but must do so respectfully and not allow these disagreements to interfere with their ability to work with one another. Think of it as us all choosing to board the same train for a long journey. Some of us will want to get off the train earlier than others, but none of us are anywhere close to that point yet—until then, we need to work together. 

“Any existing state of social affairs is the product of ideologies previously thought out. Within society new ideologies may emerge and may supersede older ideologies and thus transform the social system. However, society is always the creation of ideologies temporally and logically anterior. Action is always directed by ideas; it realizes what previous thinking has designed.” —Ludwig Von Mises

WORK ETHIC

Without a good work ethic, nothing gets done—especially in a volunteer organization. If a poor work ethic results in us failing to achieve our objectives, then we are irresponsibly wasting the time, money, and attention that people have entrusted us with to make the world more free—and we’re wasting the time and sacrifices that we and our families are making.

We have said from the very beginning that work is the currency of the Mises Caucus. What distinguishes the Mises Caucus—and gives it value—is that we do work in the real world that moves society closer to liberty. This means that our members, and especially our leaders, must have a positive, productive work ethic that results in us actually completing objectives that advance liberty in a tangible way. Without this, the Mises Caucus doesn’t live up to its promises. We recognize and honor even the smallest amount of work, understanding that going from 0 to 1 is a major step for people, especially if they are volunteers. In the realm of pure ideas, action is not an important component of being right and wrong; but in the world of activism, it is. Libertarians who are used to being agents purely in the realm of ideas might not be accustomed to the expectation of work and accomplishment, but it is at the very heart of who we are.

11 GUIDING CONCEPTS

The following concepts guide the Mises Caucus toward a culture that embodies the three core values mentioned in the previous section. If the core values are the blueprints of an architectural design, the guiding concepts are the framing studs that make that design a reality.

1. NON-AGGRESSION AS A SOCIAL CONCEPT

The principles of Libertarianism are very simple and intuitive: Don’t initiate aggressive force or fraud against someone else; if there is aggressive force or fraud, then force or fraud can be used (in proportion) to redress the aggression.

We believe that “who started it” is a question that is just as important in resolving interpersonal disputes as it is in figuring out who robbed a bank. Libertarians are excellent at figuring out “who started it” when it comes to state action and other actual crimes, but some have a harder time working out this principle socially. It is true that the Non-Aggression Principle is strictly about property rights and nothing else. Our intention is to not create a new category of aggressions or thought crimes, but rather to borrow a good idea from libertarian ethics and apply it in how we

relate to each other voluntarily. Simply put: Don’t start any problems and there won’t be any problems.

2. THE ACTION AXIOM AS A SOCIAL CONCEPT

One of the great contributions of the Austrian School of Economics is that we don’t know for sure what someone values until they act in an observable way. If someone says they would like to eat an apple today but then buys an orange instead, we know that they really preferred the orange despite what they said.

We choose to apply the science of praxeology to people. If someone says that they love us but engages in action that works against us, we know that they are really against us despite whatever it is that they say. It may not even be conscious per se—and we should always try to seek out helpful information that might explain people’s actions—but the general point is that actions matter most. It should be noted, though, that in the world of politics, saying certain things at certain times might in and of itself be a costly thing for someone, and, in that case, speech provides us with important information. The bottom line is that when some kind of price is paid—in time, reputation, money, etc.—that tells us where values and intentions are.

3. A CULTURE OF ACTION

A major byword of the caucus is #TakeHumanAction. Libertarians are a very small minority within the political world. What this means is that it is incumbent upon each of us as individuals to make up for that disparity by outworking the dozens of Republicans and Democrats working for their causes and to discover and carry out approaches that leverage any asymmetry available to us. This makes action perhaps the most valuable resource we have. As a Mises Caucus leader, you have the added burden of leading our volunteers by example. How can we ask them to do something if we aren’t doing work ourselves?

4. STRATEGIC UNITY, TACTICAL FLEXIBILITY

We are fundamentally bound together by two things: Our Platform and our Four-Point Strategy. This understanding should allow for flexibility and perspective in assessing different tactics, strategies, situations, or issues as they arise. Except where an approach would violate our core values of character or principles, we should not be married to a particular tactic or strategy.

5. MISSION FIRST

Our mission is to change the culture so that liberty can have the best chance to thrive and become the dominant ideology. That’s a tall task—and it’s going to require sacrifices and personal growth over the long term. It’s also an ideal that is greater than all of us, but that we must always be aiming for. When viewed that way, we should always base our choices and actions on what’s best for the mission.

The mission comes before any of our personal ambitions, egos, preferences, and relationships within the party or organization. We will make many friends in this great work. Some of us may develop public reputations or businesses in the process. Even so, we have to make decisions that will help us achieve our shared goals more than anything else. We are all individuals, we all have value, and our lives all have meaning, but in order to succeed as a group, we must have a certain degree of selflessness and humility, or our mission will become tangled in a web of personal indulgence.

The point is not that we must be willing to be inhuman, but rather must wrap our minds around how important this liberty mission is, and how unimportant so many other considerations are by comparison. If we could spare one more person being bankrupted by the IRS, save one more person from jail, keep one more family from being raided at 3 a.m., stop one more missile launch, then we should make the best, most objective decisions to make that happen.

“There’s no better pathway to self-realization and the ennoblement of being than to posit the highest good you can conceive of and commit yourself to it. Do you really have anything better to do?” – Jordan Peterson

6. MIND YOUR BUSINESS

Sometimes things happen in one team that negatively affects another team, and sometimes tactics that work in one area may not work in another. Each team member and leader should have their own house in order first before discussing whatever mess another team’s house might be in. This is not an injunction against having a personal opinion. Debate, discussion and even constructive criticism is necessary and encouraged. We expect those conversations to be respectful and private, either limited to conversations among relevant team members, mediation, or special spaces created for such discussion.

Team leaders also need to keep in mind the extent of their authority in regard to other teams. At any given point in the existence of the Mises Caucus, a given team or board member has had to cope with losing an internal debate. In an organization that is nationwide with hundreds of people in a decentralized structure, everyone will have their turn having to cope with something, both the actions and critiques of others. This is a major component of the core value of character. The best way to handle a disagreement with how another team member does things is to first focus on whatever you are personally responsible for in order to make it a positive example of what others should strive for.

7. FUN WORKPLACE

Make no mistake, what we’re doing is, first and foremost, work. Thousands of people are supporting us in one way or another with their time, their talents, their reputations, and their money. As we get bigger the number of supporters will grow, as will the amount of money with which we are entrusted. Again, this is not a game, a social activity, or a hobby. That said, make friends, bring people together for stuff outside of political activity, and build bonds. Work is so much better, smoother, and more fulfilling when you enjoy your time with and care about the people you’re working with. If we aren’t having fun in our mission, we’re doing it wrong. 

“Every revolution needs two things: young people and music” – Ron Paul

8. SET EXPECTATIONS, DO WHAT YOU SAY

We know what we are doing is important and the last thing we want is to let our own people down. Be clear about what you are able to contribute and deliver what you say you will. A fellow team member who can be trusted to get done what they say they can do even if they do less is worth more to our organization than someone more talented who doesn’t follow through on what they promise. Since we’re all learning and growing in this project and are volunteers, sometimes we take on tasks that are more challenging than we realize. If you are overwhelmed with a task, or are realizing it’s too big or difficult, letting people know or asking for help as soon as possible is the best thing to do. There’s no shame in taking time off or reducing your workload

9. TAKE BREAKS AND TRAIN SUCCESSORS

As a mostly volunteer organization, we have always been very conscious of burnout as a threat to our people and our operations. We believe that having a good culture and making what we do enjoyable helps, but everyone needs a break now and then. We don’t expect you to sacrifice your family, career, mental health, etc. for the sake of this mission. There are thousands and thousands of liberty-loving people in this country who can step up to help, and the better we do our jobs, the more of them will do so. If you need to take a break or take on a different role, just let us know and we will accommodate you. If there are others in your team who are willing and able to do your work, train them up so that the work doesn’t get interrupted during your break or if you move on. We need to be happy warriors and that can only be done with proper balancing.

10. COMPARTMENTALIZATION

Trust is by far the most important commodity in politics—it is worth more than gold, Bitcoin, or anything else. Taking information outside of where it belongs is a violation of trust.

Information in a particular strata, chat, email thread, document, phone call, etc. remains there unless a higher strata determines that it is acceptable for this information to be made available to a lower strata or different compartment. If you aren’t sure if something can be shared in any way, ask—and in the meantime, don’t share it.

Of course, there is a time and a place for “whistleblowing”—like major acts of corruption, embezzlement, harassment, etc.—but this should only be done if you have made the effort to get an acceptable response from the proper people (which includes all the members of our Executive Committee).

Sharing information outside its appropriate level of privacy without a compelling reason is a serious violation of trust. When trust is gone, it is very hard to get back. People who demonstrate that they cannot be trusted with private or sensitive information cannot be involved in this organization, period.

11. PREPARE FOR THE LONG HAUL

We live in a thoroughly statist paradigm and perhaps at the end of an empire. There are no silver bullets or quick fixes to liberty. Nobody is going to come and save us and America is the beacon the rest of the world looks to. We’re it; it’s just us. Our mission is to change the culture so that liberty can have space to thrive and to increase liberty wherever and whenever possible. It’s more probable than not that we will all fail to see the results we desire within our lifetimes.

Keep that in mind when balancing everything. This is a very long term strategy and mission. We’re living for Re(love)ution, not dying for it. We want to do as much as we can for as long as we can and in the meantime create something that will outlive us all.

“The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. It ain’t about how hard you can hit; It’s about how hard you can *get* hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! You gotta be willing to take the hits and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you want to be because of him or her or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!” – Rocky Balboa (Remember, Rocky lost his first fight with Apollo Creed, but that didn’t stop him from winning in the long run.)

RESOLVING CONFLICT: BEST PRACTICES

The heart of a functional culture is how it resolves conflicts. How do we treat and interact with each other? How do we approach disputes, conflicts and issues that arise? This is a list of best practices for handling our differences. Think of it as the finishing details of the structure we’re building.

• Assume the best intentions. This isn’t a good rule outside of the Mises Caucus because there’s a lot of cynical behavior in politics; there is definitely a time to be wary and not naive. Inside the Mises Caucus though, we are all on the same team, including someone you might have a disagreement or problem with. Give everyone the benefit of the doubt until their actions prove otherwise.
• Ask for clarification on what someone else thinks or believes to understand it better before responding in a critical or hostile manner. Many disagreements are based on faulty assumptions about motives, the meanings of terms being used, etc.
• Seek more personal forms of communication. As conflicts arise, make attempts to hop on a phone call, a Zoom meeting or seek mediation before resorting to any public outlet. Do not allow a conflict to escalate without real interpersonal communication. Text on a screen alone is inadequate, as it leaves out tone of voice, facial expressions, eye contact, body language, etc. Don’t wait for the other party to reach out. Be the first one to do it. If you’re in the right, then you should be able to say it to the person face to face or even on the phone.
• Keep conflict contained. In keeping with the concept of being direct in addressing an issue or conflict, do not create side chats and start involving other people. The more people become involved in a conflict, the more complicated and harder to untangle it becomes.

• Seek resolution or a solution to a problem rather than “winning the argument.” Antagonism or criticism just for criticism’s sake is not productive, especially among people who are your colleagues and friends.
• Have thick skin. If there is an issue, it’s likely that emotions are elevated to varying levels. In these situations, people may speak more aggressively or bluntly. Expect and accept it; don’t take it personally or too seriously.
• Have self control. We ask our members to have thick skin and not easily be offended, but there is no reason to be unnecessarily rude or personal in hashing out a disagreement. It makes resolving the situation harder for everyone involved.
• Strive to be objective in assessing an issue. If a judgment call needs to be made on something, be dispassionate; we’re all colleagues and friends here. If objectivity isn’t your guide, you’re just taking sides.
• Be self-aware. Everybody screws up sometimes or makes the wrong call or the wrong read. It happens. But be self-aware enough to know you might not completely understand the situation you are reacting to. We are all under the effect of the knowledge problem and our interactions should work towards clarification not confrontation. Be willing to admit you’re wrong. If you misjudged a situation, own it.
• Be plain, not passive aggressive. Overly aggressive HR departments and overly censorious social media platforms contribute to passive aggression as a habit, since speaking plainly results in a ban or termination. The Mises Caucus does not have that problem, so communicate problems plainly but respectfully. Passive aggressive behavior is not acceptable.
• Be respectful to someone no matter whether they are above, below, or on the same level as you in authority/role, age, or experience. Show respect for people in leadership, show respect for your peers, and show respect for people who answer to you. If you are starting the interaction, you are setting the tone for that interaction.
• Seek de-escalation. Don’t escalate a situation to a higher level of intensity, disrespect, etc. Take a deep breath—literally—before you respond to a slight. Be quick to apologize if you escalated rather than doubling down, even if the other party is more in the wrong.
• Walk away from an interaction or slow it down if the situation is escalating or going in circles. Especially if an issue is playing out in chats or situations with many people. Take a step back, breathe, and take time to dispassionately examine the facts of a given conflict before acting on any judgment or conclusion. Rash or ill-informed reactions can easily set off a chain reaction that ultimately escalates a conflict.
• Reach out for mediation. Don’t be afraid to contact an organizer or Excom member if you think mediation is needed. We would prefer that people resolve their conflicts on their own and want to give people a chance to do so, but if there’s an impasse we are available and willing to help.
• Be responsible in your personal relations with other people inside or outside of the Mises Caucus. Romantic or sexual entanglements have the potential to generate controversy, ill-feelings, compromise professional judgment, lead to social dysfunction and complicate working relationships. Treat them with due respect and consideration. If something has to be a secret besides the basic right to privacy for its own sake, ask yourself why. Be honest with yourself and don’t engage in relationships or do things that would create problems if other people knew. People who exploit “access” and abuse people or otherwise create problems for the organization, either inside or outside of it, will not be tolerated.