night watchman state
Government that is limited to a bare minimum of functions, usually just military,…Government that is limited to a bare minimum of functions, usually just military, police, and courts.
Meaning
1 sensesGovernment that is limited to a bare minimum of functions, usually just military, police, and courts.
Nachtwächterstaat, Minimalstaat
Translations
4 languagesBy meaning 1
Origin
Calque of German Nachtwächterstaat, which was coined by German socialist Ferdinand LassallCalque of German Nachtwächterstaat, which was coined by German socialist Ferdinand Lassalle in an 1862 speech in Berlin. He used this term to criticize the idea of a state with minimal government, comparing it to a night watchman whose sole duty was preventing theft.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Dictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.