Glossary
Popular sovereignty
The principle that ultimate political authority resides in the people, who delegate it to government.
Also called: sovereignty of the people, rule by the people
Popular sovereignty is the doctrine that the people are the ultimate source of political power and that government exists by their authority. It replaced older theories that placed sovereignty in a monarch or the state.
The U.S. Constitution reflects it in its preamble ("We the People"), in its ratification by state conventions and in the amendment process. It is also tied to elections and to the expectation that officials answer to voters. In the nineteenth century, the term "popular sovereignty" had a more specific meaning: the proposal, associated with Stephen Douglas, that settlers in the territories should decide for themselves whether to allow slavery, a policy that Abraham Lincoln and others opposed.
Popular sovereignty interacts with constraints on majorities. The founders designed a constitutional republic with checks that limit what even majorities can do, and many conservatives stress that constitutional limits protect liberty, a worry captured in tyranny of the majority. Populist movements invoke popular sovereignty to challenge elites, courts or international bodies. Critics say that appeals to the will of the people can ignore minority rights. The idea connects with consent of the governed.
Last reviewed November 8, 2026