night watchman state

Etymology
, which was coined by German socialist 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.

Noun

 * 1)  Government that is limited to a bare minimum of functions, usually just military, police, and courts.

Translations

 * Dutch:
 * Finnish:
 * French: État-gendarme
 * German:, Minimalstaat
 * Spanish: estado vigilante nocturno
 * Swedish: