The idea that government derives its authority from the consent of the governed is most closely associated with which concept?

• A. Popular sovereignty
• B. Divine right
• C. Federalism
• D. Separation of powers

Answer: (A)

Popular sovereignty is the idea being tested. It says that governments get their authority from the consent of the governed—the people consent to be ruled, and their ongoing approval is what gives a government legitimacy. In American history, this is echoed in the notion that elections, voluntary civic participation, and the right to alter or abolish government express the people’s will. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution tie political legitimacy to the people’s consent and to mechanisms that let them voice their will and change the system when needed.

Divine right, by contrast, claims rulers derive authority from God, not from the people. Federalism focuses on how power is divided between national and state governments, and separation of powers describes how government powers are split among different branches. While those ideas describe how government is organized, they do not define where its authority comes from in the first place.