Institutions Quote by Murray Rothbard
“While other individuals or institutions obtain their income by production of goods and services and by the peaceful and voluntary sale of these goods and services to others, the State obtains its revenue by the use of compulsion; that is, by the use and the threat of the jailhouse and the bayonet.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The State and Its Revenue" by Murray Rothbard, 1970
The government forces payment through coercion, unlike voluntary market exchanges.
In simple terms: Taxes are collected by force.
Key Takeaway
Question the legitimacy of state-imposed taxes.
Themes
politics
economics
freedom
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
political
economic
When to use this quote
- Public policy debates
- tax reform
- civil disobedience
Key Concepts
Libertarianism
taxation
state coercion
Questions to Reflect On
- Is any coercion ever morally acceptable?
- What alternatives exist to state taxation?
A Different Perspective
Coercive revenue can be justified as public good in some societies.
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