Popular sovereignty means all political power comes from the people. Government legitimacy rests on the consent of the governed, not on divine right or force.
John Locke argued government exists to protect natural rights. Jean-Jacques Rousseau said legitimate authority flows from the people's collective judgment. The Declaration of Independence made this concrete: "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."
The Constitution opens with "We the People," establishing the people as the source of authority. Article VII required ratification by state conventions, so people participated directly in creating their government.
Popular sovereignty works through elections, allowing citizens to choose and remove representatives. The amendment process lets popular will reshape the Constitution itself.
The system has limits. Constitutional protections for minority rights constrain what majorities can do. Separation of powers distributes authority so popular will works through institutions, not direct rule.
These tensions between majority rule and minority rights are features, not flaws. The framers understood that unchecked popular power can be as dangerous as unchecked government power.
Popular sovereignty means government legitimacy rests on citizens' consent, not force or hereditary right. This principle justifies both the Constitution and the right to change it through amendments. Without it, government has no moral authority.
People sometimes think popular sovereignty means pure majority rule where majorities can do anything. The Founders understood it differently: the people's consent is the source of authority, but constitutional limits on majority power protect minority rights.
Popular sovereignty means government legitimacy rests on citizens' consent, not force or hereditary right. This principle justifies both the Constitution and the right to change it through amendments. Without it, government has no moral authority.
People sometimes think popular sovereignty means pure majority rule where majorities can do anything. The Founders understood it differently: the people's consent is the source of authority, but constitutional limits on majority power protect minority rights.