Minarchism is a libertarian political philosophy which advocates for the State to exist solely to protect citizens from aggression, theft, breach of contract, and fraud. Minarchists generally propose that the only legitimate governmental institutions are the military, police, and courts. However, some advocates propose fire departments, prisons, the executive, and legislatures as legitimate government functions. Such states are regarded as night-watchman states.
Minarchists argue that it is malum in se for a government to interfere in transactions between people by taxing for services not directly related to the protection of citizens.
Some minarchists argue that a state is inevitable, thus believing anarchy to be futile. Minarchists justify the necessity of the state on the grounds that private defence agencies and courts could be biased by unevenly representing the interests of higher paying clients.Robert Nozick, who publicized the idea of a minimal state in Anarchy, State, and Utopia, argued that a night watchman state provides a framework that allows for any political system that respects fundamental individual rights, and is therefore morally justifiable.
Minarchists believe a laissez-faire economy is not only the best system ethically, but also pragmatically. They contend that exceedingly low tax rates as a result of minimal government institutions allows for economic benefits.
Anarcho-capitalists argue that governments are malum in se in their nature and violate the non-aggression principle arguing that the market should supply all goods and services. Anarcho-capitalists criticize state sanctioned monopolies, citing them as corrupt and inefficient due to their ability to artificially limit competing services via laws and regulations.