The merger was forced by the constitutional revision of 1918 implementing universal suffrage and proportional representation.

Unlike other social groups, the liberals did not build up a structure of pillarised organisations around it: therefore liberal voters were relatively independent from the League and were easily attracted by new political parties, like the National Socialist Movement.

In 1963 a group of VVD members tried to rekindle the "Freedom League" flame, but they were unable to gain seats in the elections and dissolved.

Government should however be involved in providing social security for the extremely poor and pensions for the elderly.

The LSP mainly received support from agnostics or latitudinarian protestants (such as Remonstrants, moderate orthodox or freethinking members of the Dutch Reformed Church and Mennonites) from higher classes: businessmen, civil servants, wealthy farmers, and voters with free professions (lawyers, doctors etc.).

The party performed particularly well in the major trading cities Amsterdam and Rotterdam, the rich municipalities around Hilversum and The Hague and in northern rural provinces, like Groningen and Drenthe.