The night watchman state or the minimal state is the state with the least possible amount of powers; these powers cannot be reduced any further without abolishing the state altogether and instituting a form of anarchy. Typically, a night watchman state would consist of the bare minimum that is required to uphold the law: the police, the judicial system, prisons and the army. The only roles of a night watchman state are to protect individuals from coercion and theft, punish criminals, and defend the country from foreign aggression; it does not provide any other services beyond those. Hence the historical 19th century liberal term for a "night watchman" state, which sleeps until someone's individual freedom has been violated.

The view that the state should be reduced to such a minimal level is called minarchism, and it is a part of the ideology of libertarianism. Naturally, this idea has both supporters and critics.

Most minarchists wish to restrict the state to a night watchman role by means of a strict constitution. Many minarchists also see it necessary to ensure that the state stays minimal, and that the miniarchist constitution cannot be changed after being adopted. As such, some are strong proponents of the right to bear arms, arguing that it gives citizens the opportunity to shoot evil law-makers or tax-collectors that try to override the constitution, thus preserving the minimal state. In essence, this is what they interpret as the original intention of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Of course, that assumes that the population actually wants such a minimal state. If this is not the case, then the right to bear arms will enable the people to change the minarchist constitution and establish a form of government that more closely mirrors their wishes.

Popperian libertarians often see the night watchman state as the best tool to implement an open society, in the sense that the evolution of institutions and culture is left to its own devices, rather than being influenced by such things as liberal democracy.

See also

Nanny state