The government–robber comparison: A long‐standing tradition beyond avowed libertarianism

Brian Mandeville

Economic Affairs, 2026, vol. 46, issue 1, 41-58

Abstract: A government differs from a robber, but they share the common feature of initiating coercion. This similarity has been noticed by libertarians as well as within a distinct scholarly tradition and as a recurring theme throughout Western philosophy. Twentieth‐century political economists have employed this comparison to understand state formation and institutional behaviour. Philosophers from ancient Greece to the Enlightenment have recognised the fundamental similarities between governmental and criminal coercion in the context of examining questions of legitimacy and justice. The government–robber comparison has been an analytical tool of accepted standing throughout Western intellectual history that deserves contemporary consideration.

Date: 2026
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