Hmmm...Libertarianism...in a nutshell. I've tried for years, and I don't think you can sum up Libertarianism in a nutshell.
Throw out everything that you know about Liberal and Conservative. We don't wear those suits. What we believe is simple. We believe in individual sovereignty. That is, the right of an individual to regulate, and control, his/her own life, with as little governmental interference as possible. We believe that individuals should be free to follow their own dreams, in their own ways, without interference from government or any authoritarian power. We also believe that by privatizing a vast majority of the functions that the government now involves itself in, these functions can be run in a far more efficient and effective manner. This is extremely basic, and there is so much more. I would strongly urge you to check out the
Executive Summary of The Libertarian Party Platform on the website.