I would imagine that most people do not consciously think about when it is morally justifiable for a government to use force against a citizen. Sure when a high-profile murderer is on the loose and is finally caught most people are perfectly fine with police arresting (or possibly even killing) the suspected murderer. Is that same force morally acceptable to stop a robbery or a fight? How about to stop someone who is saying something that is hurtful to another person? At what point is it wrong for the state to use force against you?
As a Libertarian I say the state should be allowed to use force only when I would be morally justified using force. This includes protecting my family, my home (and other property), and myself. I cannot however go to my neighbor's house and take a portion of his or her income or belonging as that would be stealing. Since I can not morally take my neighbors stuff I do not believe the government should have this power either (unless it somehow violates a private contract that was signed voluntarily). I do however think it is moral to charge someone a usage fee when buying a good (say like a gasoline tax). I'm curious what other people think about this issue. Please give me some feedback in the comments. Thank you