When considering living options around the seemingly ever-expanding global community, few would confide in one of the smallest states in the nation. New Hampshire is undergoing a potential transformation in not only political but also social life. Since then, the state has become a haven for proponents of the libertarian philosophy.”Libertarian” is hard to define. As a general definition, libertarianism consists of a wide array of political identities cast under a limited spectrum of basic principles. These principles are generally centered around tendencies to maximize freedom, promote personal tolerance and champion responsibility while detesting the growth and existence, to a certain extent, of government authority.But like most third parties, the Libertarian Party resides somewhere between ineffective and irrelevant.Refusing to fall victim to the dustbin of history, modern libertarians have instead opted for a pragmatic approach to the development of the movement’s political purpose.Some might estimate the national libertarian agenda has been hijacked by extremists who propose secession through legal and subtle measures. Others, specifically libertarians, disagree. The Free State Project is an attempt to migrate libertarians — 20,000 of them, to be exact — to New Hampshire. The conventional thinking goes that 20,000 motivated libertarians will constitute enough political muscle to covertly hijack control of the government and undermine the legitimacy of the Union.But the libertarian mission in New Hampshire is evidently less conspiratorial in nature.Once enough sign the petition on the project’s Web site, the mass flock to the promised land begins.The project does not support any candidate or party and does not support or endorse any legislation.New Hampshire is “the chosen state” because it has the lowest tax burden and one of the lowest levels of dependency on federal spending in the nation, according to the Web site. The site also boasts an extremely low salary for state representatives, the lowest state crime level and a ranking by George Mason University as the “most free state.”Perhaps more notably, there are no seat belt or helmet requirements.But whether you agree with libertarian principles or not, there may be no better way to launch an aggressive campaign aimed at invoking political revision across the nation.To maximize political influence, the project advocates amassing enough people to signal marginal shifts in some elections. It’s questionable how practical it will be to quietly and gradually implant the libertarian culture and reputation into the collective conscious of the New Hampshire populace.But focusing on long-term strategy rather than short-term results, the project plans to secure control over the state government in increments, slowly making its way from local elections to the governor’s mansion.The project then aims to branch out from the chosen state to regional chapters and a new, more appealing and inclusive political party.”Think globally and act locally” appears to be the creed behind the project’s execution.This might seem like a blip on the radar screen. But the point isn’t a sea-change in modern political life. But because many important decisions — especially those affecting local life — are made at the state government level, the potential the project holds has yet to be realized.Noble intentions rarely blossom when blended with impractical policy. Daniel Lumetta is a 22-year-old mass communication senior.– – – -Contact Daniel Lumetta at [email protected]