Most libertarians believe that the capital punishment (death penalty) is an extreme exertion of state power and is of little use in a free society, while it is of great use to a tyrannical government. Proponents of capital punishment believe that such punishment may be justified as a deterrent to particularly atrocious crimes (although it is the case in the United States that states with the death penalty have higher murder rates than ones which don't) and as a means of keeping dangerous individuals permanently incapacitated. Furthermore, if people commit crimes, they may sacrifice their rights; if the legal system is legitimate, perhaps capital punishment is justified.