Anti-statism is a term describing opposition to state intervention into personal, social, and economic affairs. Anti-statism means opposition to the state and any form of government, and it differs from anarchism which means the opposition not only to the state but to any form of rulership. From this perspective, some economical and political theories that are clearly against statal coercion but favor other types of rulership such as anarcho-capitalism (which says only voluntary and contractual rulerships are legitimate) are better described as forms of anti-statism rather than branches of anarchism.

Anti-statism is a term describing opposition to state intervention into personal, social, and economic affairs. Anti-statism means opposition to the state and any form of government, and it differs from anarchism which means the opposition not only to the state but to any form of rulership. From this perspective, some economical and political theories that are clearly against statal coercion but favor other types of rulership such as anarcho-capitalism (which says only voluntary and contractual rulerships are legitimate) are better described as forms of anti-statism rather than branches of anarchism.