[dredmorbius]

The state's monopoly, qua Max Weber, is on the legitimate use of violence.

All three words matter: state, monopoly, and legitimate.

That is, the right and legitimacy of that right, is restricted to the state.

Absent this, one of three conditions exist;

1. There is no monopoly. In which case violence is widespread.

2. There is no legitimacy. In which case violence is capricious. This is tyranny or unaccountable power.

3. Some non-state power or agent assumes the monopoly on legitimate violence. In which case it becomes, by definition the State.

The state's claim is to legitimacy. A capricious exercise would be an abrogation of legitimacy