Free Market Flaw: Limited Government is Undefined

One of the premises of a totally free market economy is that taxation would be significantly reduced in order to maintain limited government functions. Though it is desirable to fund government only as much as is necessary, there is really no definition offered for what that limited government would do or provide in free market theory.

Most of the people I have debated on the topic agree on eliminating such things as welfare of any kind, unemployment insurance, and regulatory agencies. Most of them would maintain a court system, a military defense system, and police and fire departments. They do not agree on how much or how little of each would be maintained, but each would be maintained to some degree.

Beyond that, it seems that what else would be maintained is more subjective than objective. Those who are teachers would maintain public education. Those who drive would maintain road works. Those who work in licensing departments would maintain licensing departments. However, those who benefit from one of these socialistic endeavors do not necessarily agree with another person of common free market mind who benefits from another of these socialistic endeavors.

So who would decide which government services are retained, and which government services are eliminated? Certainly it must be decided or that would lead to anarchy, and certainly it could not be decided by voters because that would lead to socialism.

What I have found in these debates is that the free market enthusiast ultimately believes he or she should be the dictator of what is retained and what is eliminated.

Perhaps we can have an election for dictator from only those who enthusiastically support free market economics. Of course, we would need to retain an election system to do that!