Night-watchman state

[6] The United Kingdom in the 19th century has been described by historian Charles Townshend as a standard-bearer for this form of government.

[11] Right-libertarian minarchists generally justify the state as a logical consequence of the non-aggression principle.

[12] Another common objection to anarchism is that private defense and court firms would tend to represent the interests of those who pay them enough.

[13] Left-libertarian minarchists justify the state as a temporary measure on the grounds that social safety net benefits the working class.

Some anarchists, such as Noam Chomsky, are in agreement with social democrats on the importance of welfare measures, but prefer using non-state methods.

The term was coined by Ferdinand Lassalle and derived from the watchman system used by various European cities starting in the medieval period. The voluntary militia functioned as a city guard for internal policing and against external aggression. Painting: The Night Watch