Which statement best describes popular sovereignty?

• A. The people elect representatives who make decisions on their behalf.
• B. The government is chosen by God.
• C. All laws must be approved by a national referendum.
• D. Government authority derives from the people.

Answer: (D)

Popular sovereignty is the idea that government authority comes from the people, meaning the legitimacy of rulers and laws rests on the consent of those governed. This is why describing government authority as deriving from the people is the best answer: it states the source of power itself. The other notions describe how power can be exercised or claimed rather than where it comes from. For example, choosing leaders through elections is a mechanism by which citizens exercise sovereignty, but it still rests on the people as the source of authority. The claim that government is chosen by God reflects divine right, not popular sovereignty, and requiring every law to be approved by a national referendum depicts direct democracy—an approach to decision-making rather than the fundamental source of political power.