Popular sovereignty is the principle that the authority of a government is created by and sustained through the consent of its people. It means that the ultimate power or sovereignty rests with the people, who have the right to govern themselves. The legitimacy of a government depends on the will and approval of the governed. In practice, popular sovereignty is expressed in several ways, including:
- The involvement of people either directly or through representatives in making and ratifying a constitution.
- The people's participation in proposing and ratifying constitutional amendments.
- The people's support of government through voting in elections and influencing public policy.
Historically, popular sovereignty was a founding principle of the United States, emphasized in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, where governance authority is derived from the people. It played a notable role in 19th-century U.S. political debates, especially regarding whether new territories would permit slavery, allowing residents to decide by vote (popular sovereignty). Overall, popular sovereignty is a cornerstone of democratic governance, ensuring that governments serve the people and remain accountable to their consent. It is a standard for legitimacy in most modern democracies. This concept is rooted in the idea that people are the true rulers and the source of political power in a state.
