This is what Pew found when it went looking for the 'libertarian moment'

National conversations on individual liberties, Sen. Rand Paul‘s, R-Ky., drone filibuster and growing awareness of the militarization of police departments across the country have left some wondering whether the nation is having what the New York Times refers to as a “libertarian moment.”

And rather than judge whether the country is indeed experiencing the rise of an idea whose time has come based solely on a handful of Sunday morning interviews or news articles, the Pew Research Center set out to collect hard data on the issue, gauging the nation’s opinion of libertarians.