The Libertarian Party and The Advocates for Self-Government have some things in common despite their very different missions.

For many thousands of Americans, these two entities have been the gateway into a third-way approach to politics and policy. A couple of years back, we confirmed this with our Pathways study.

More Libertarian Party members have made greater use of our "Operation: Politically Homeless" kits to share The World's Smallest Political Quiz at events, fairs, or conventions than any other entity of which we're aware. This means we have lots of friends who are part of that party.

I was once a member of the Libertarian Party, and so too was Jim Babka. Jim and I work together – he's editor-at-large for The Advocates. He also hosts a podcast, Gracearchy with Jim Babka. The latest episode of this program is the occasion for which I am writing to you today.

What Did Donald Trump Reveal About Libertarians?

Much has been said about Donald Trump’s appearance at the Libertarian Convention this past weekend. There’s redundant commentary all over ‘Streamville’ and ‘Podlandia.’

After listening to Jim's latest episode, I believe he has uncovered angles to this story that everyone else has missed (and that you'll find interesting).

Human Respect: A Third-Way Approach to Social Harmony

But the most important part of the show, and the reason I share it with you today, is the show's second half. Here, Jim provides a "third-way" approach to the Thick-libertarian vs Thin-libertarian debate.

It features a philosophy we're promoting called Human Respect. Specifically, Jim applies elements of that philosophy, including…

• The Conflict Machine - A system to address social problems that divides members of society into warring parties where there must be losers. It's a synonym for politics, but a far more descriptive term.

• The Values Quadrant - This tool demonstrates the Unique Sales Proposition of libertarianism. You'll see a path towards unifying lots of people, starting with libertarians – which is an obvious challenge, at the moment – and then moving on to lots of people who aren't libertarians.

• The Natural Principle of Human Respect – Happiness, harmony, and prosperity always decline as persons experience theft and violence. This is the basis for the Values Quadrant and a path to social harmony.

Jim's message highlights the actual beauty of our self-governing message. That's why I encourage you to do as I have done: Listen to this episode of Gracearchy.

You can also tune in on these podcasting platforms: Pandora * iHeart * Spotify

Respectfully,