The basis for the state's existence defined in simple terms attributed to Gary Brecher AKA "the War Nerd".
The government makes us pay taxes and obey it's laws on the grounds that the state claims "... all the land, on the legal basis that if you objected they’d kill you.”
So there you are. Bet they didn't teach you that in high school civics class or in American Government 100 in college did they? For that insight you'd have to take a 400 level political philosophy class or maybe even go to graduate school.
