What's the difference between Libertarians and Conservatives in regards to the role of government?

[Luke]

[Maria Juarez]

Nothing. Both have no clue what the role of government actually is, as outlined in the Constitution.

[tallpleasure729]

Most conservatives are stupid. Most libertarians are stupid and extremist.

[Ranger The funk Up]

I would like to believe that it is the difference in states rights with social issues.
Well at least that is the way that I interpret it.

[Brain]

Constitutional rights don't apply to blacks, women (conservative opposition to Feminist and Civil Right movements in 60s and 70s) and gays.

[bobber]

There is a difference, although the media doesn't often pick up on it. Libertarians are skeptical that government can do much of anything right. This leads them to be pro-civil liberties and individual rights which they extend into the economic sphere. Conservatives are a little harder to pin down. They range all the way from libertarian-lite, like Ron Paul, to those favoring big government as long as it satisfies conservative ideas. Many of the Religious Right and Neoconservatives are big government conservatives. Most conservatives and libertarians sound alike when it comes to a free market economy, where they begin to part company is in the social realm. Libertarians say leave it alone, conservatives often say, use government to promote proper social or religious behavior.

This results in libertarians sounding like liberals on social matters and like conservatives on economic matters. Of course, there are variations within the libertarian camp as well. Many left-libertarians draw their inspiration from anarchistic political thought including anarcho-capitalism, anarcho-syndicalism,. anarcho-mutualism, anarcho-communism, etc.