Why was Anarchy, State, and Utopia important to the New Right?

Anarchy, State, and Utopia (1974) is considered a foundational philosophical manifesto for the New Right because it provided a sophisticated, rigorous defense of the libertarian "minimal state".1

The work was significant to the movement for several key reasons:

• Intellectual Legitimacy: It offered a robust moral justification for a "night watchman" state—limited strictly to protecting citizens against violence, theft, and fraud—thereby providing an intellectual framework for those opposing the expansion of government power.12
• Critique of Liberalism: Nozick effectively challenged the social-democratic liberalism of his contemporaries, such as John Rawls. He argued that state efforts to redistribute wealth or provide social services like education and health care violate the natural rights of individuals to their property and labor.12
• Revival of Libertarianism: The book marked the beginning of an intellectual revival of libertarian principles, which became increasingly influential in conservative political and economic circles throughout the late 20th century.3

While the New Right embraced the work, it is important to note that Robert Nozick himself was not entirely comfortable with this political association.1