America will soon be plunged into a libertarian moment. Are you prepared?

Libertarianism is a political ideology — a belief system — that contrasts sharply with both liberal and conservative. It is also America’s third largest political party: the only one besides Democrats and Republicans that is officially recognized by the State of Kansas. Once described by a friend of mine as “pro choice on everything,” libertarianism calls for the drastic reduction of government intervention in virtually every aspect of life. Libertarians would keep abortion legal but not give government funding for it — or for much of anything else. They would do away with government-issued marriage licenses, arguing that marriage is a private transaction. There would be no income tax, Social Security, Medicare or public schools, and U.S. troops stationed overseas would come home. Under libertarianism, individualism is king, and we are all pretty much on our own. Those interested in learning more should check out the late novelist Ayn Rand.Wichita industrialist Charles Koch is another well-known libertarian.

When I say that America is about to enter a libertarian moment, I do not mean that President-elect Donald Trump is a libertarian — far from it. From tariffs on imported goods, to enabling states to criminalize abortion, to anti-immigration policies, Trump advocates much that is sharply at odds with libertarian principles.

Instead, what I am suggesting is that Trump 2.0 is likely to be so chaotic and fragmented that citizens will pretty much be out for ourselves when it comes to determining what is best — a libertarian moment. For example, if conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is indeed confirmed as secretary of Health and Human Services, Americans may essentially be on our own when it comes to getting vaccinated. Mountains of evidence showing the safety and effectiveness of vaccines notwithstanding, there may be a push to remove mandatory vaccinations for school enrollment, bringing back childhood disease epidemics, including measles, mumps and whooping cough.

With his pre- and post-election behavior, his Cabinet nominations, and of course his first term as president, Trump appears to be embodying Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s famous quote: “When you elect people who have contempt for government, you get a contemptible government.”

For the next four years, we may not be able to count on the federal government for much of anything — and some states are not looking too good, either.

In this libertarian-by-chaos moment, an irony emerges: Those who voted for Vice President Kamala Harris are best-equipped to weather it. For example, the COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective and needs to be updated every year for new strains. A 2021 Brookings study found that early COVID vaccination rates were 90% for Democrats, 68% for Independents and 56% for Republicans. I got my booster in October.

On other issues, a Pew Research study found that 41% of Republicans owned a gun, versus 16% of Democrats. Most of these are handguns. While many gun owners practice safe and responsible gun handling and storage, the fact remains that ready access to a handgun makes it far more likely that a person will die of suicide. In Kansas, guns are used in two and a half times as many suicides as homicides.

Democrats are also more likely to support seat-belt use and tobacco abatement and to use mental health care — all key factors in living a long and fulfilling life.

The American people voted for this, so here it comes. When we’re each on our own, it will be those who voted against it who are best-equipped to survive and thrive.

— Michael Smith is a professor of political science at Emporia State University.