night watchman state

短语

词形变化

night watchman states 复数

别名

night-watchman state

释义与例句

n.
  1. 1.

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

词源

Calque 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.

来源：wiktionary