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noun

popular sovereignty

POP-yuu-ler SOV-rin-tee
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Popular sovereignty (noun) means the political principle that the authority of a government comes from the consent of the people it governs, and that the people are the ultimate source of power. Example: “Popular sovereignty is the idea behind the phrase "we the people".”

noun
1
The political principle that the authority of a government comes from the consent of the people it governs, and that the people are the ultimate source of power.
"Popular sovereignty is the idea behind the phrase "we the people"."
"Referendums are often defended as a direct expression of popular sovereignty."
2
historical In American history, the doctrine that the settlers of each new territory should vote for themselves on whether slavery would be permitted there, rather than Congress deciding.
"The Kansas-Nebraska Act applied popular sovereignty to the territories, and violence followed."

How to use popular sovereignty

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe idea that a government only has power because the people gave it to them.

When to use it

Formal, used in politics, law and history teaching. Sense 2 appears almost exclusively in the context of 19th-century America.

Memory tip

Popular sovereignty is the underlying justification; democracy is the machinery built to carry it out.

Easily confused with
democracy → majority rule parliamentary sovereignty
Common pairings
principle of popular sovereignty doctrine of popular sovereignty popular sovereignty and consent
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_____ is the idea behind the phrase "we the people".

Synonyms

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rule by the people consent of the governed self-government

Antonyms

absolute monarchy autocracy

Related words

republic independence democracy autonomy dictatorship fascism tyranny autocracy

Rhymes for popular sovereignty

sovereignty
See all rhymes for popular sovereignty →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between popular sovereignty and democracy?
Popular sovereignty is a principle about where authority comes from: the people. Democracy is the set of arrangements — elections, representation, voting — through which that principle is put into practice. A state can claim popular sovereignty in its constitution while failing to operate democratically.
What did popular sovereignty mean before the American Civil War?
It meant letting the settlers of each western territory vote on whether to allow slavery, instead of Congress imposing an answer. Presented as a compromise, it produced fierce and often violent contests, most notoriously in Kansas.
What is the difference between popular sovereignty and parliamentary sovereignty?
Popular sovereignty places ultimate authority with the people. Parliamentary sovereignty, the doctrine at the heart of the UK constitution, places it with parliament, which can make or unmake any law. The two can pull against each other, as referendum disputes show.
What is the meaning of popular sovereignty?
"popular sovereignty" (noun) means the political principle that the authority of a government comes from the consent of the people it governs, and that the people are the ultimate source of power.

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republic independence democracy autonomy dictatorship fascism tyranny autocracy