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Why do states claim a monopoly on the use of armed force within their borders?

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Detail from School of Athens by Raphael — state Plato (center left) and Aristotle, detail from *School of Athens*, fresco by Raphael, 1508–11; in the Stanza della Segnatura, the Vatican. Plato is shown pointing to the heavens and the realm of forms, Aristotle to the earth and the realm of things.

The concept of a state monopoly on violence is a defining characteristic of the modern state. States claim this monopoly to establish the legitimacy of their rule and to maintain order by ensuring they are the sole authority capable of authorizing the use of physical force within their territory.1

By centralizing the means of domination, the state protects itself from the dissolution of sovereign power, which is most critically threatened by civil war. As noted by Max Weber, this monopoly distinguishes the modern state from feudalism, where power was fragmented among competing lords and institutions.21

Ultimately, this control is essential for self-preservation. By preventing nonstate actors—such as terrorists or organized crime—from establishing parallel sources of power, the state maintains the stability necessary to govern, enforce laws, and protect its citizens from both domestic and external threats.12