The party also supports gun rights, direct democracy, privatization, abolishing federal land ownership, and limited government.

In early 1973, Vogler founded Alaskans for Independence (AFI), originally to label a petition drive.

In 1973, Vogler began circulating a petition seeking support for secession of Alaska from the United States.

The Alaska magazine published a piece at that time in which Vogler claimed to have gathered 25,000 signatures in three weeks.

Referring to Alaska's 1959 admission to the union, the AIP's charter states that "The Alaskan Independence Party's goal is the vote we were entitled to in 1958, one choice from among the following four choices: Members of the AIP, including Vogler, alleged that the 1958 referendum on Alaskan statehood was rigged by the federal government.

[6] Vogler's running mate in 1986 was Al Rowe, a Fairbanks resident and former Alaska State Trooper.

Rowe took out a series of newspaper ads, fashioning himself in the image of Sheriff Buford Pusser.

Hickel refused a vote on secession called on by a fringe group within the AIP loyal to Vogler's original vision.

Also joining around 2001 was prolife activist and conservative public school teacher Bob Bird, who was a Pat Buchanan delegate at the 1996 GOP convention.

[12] David Niewert and Max Blumenthal wrote in Salon about the third party's influence in gaining election of Sarah Palin as mayor of Wasilla in her first political office.