What does the principle of popular sovereignty mean in the U.S. political system?

• A. Political power rests with the people.
• B. The government holds all the power.
• C. The king holds the ultimate authority.
• D. The states individually control their own laws without federal input.

Answer: (A)

Popular sovereignty means political power rests with the people. In the United States, the legitimacy of government comes from the consent of the governed; citizens exercise power through elections, choosing representatives, and participating in public life. This idea underpins the notion of a republic—government exists to serve the people, and its authority derives from them. Because power originates with the people, they can hold the government accountable and change it through peaceful means like voting and constitutional processes.

The other descriptions describe different systems: concentrating power in a ruler or monarchy, or a setup where states act entirely on their own without a common source of legitimacy from the people. In popular sovereignty, ultimate authority is not handed to a king or to the government alone, but starts with the people themselves.