Popular sovereignty is the principle that the authority of a state and its government are created and sustained by the consent of its people, who are the source of all political power. This concept does not imply any particular political implementation, but rather emphasizes the importance of the peoples role in governing. Benjamin Franklin expressed popular sovereignty when he wrote, "In free governments, the rulers are the servants and the people their superiors and sovereigns".
In the United States, popular sovereignty was a founding principle, as stated in the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution. The doctrine of popular sovereignty was also a controversial issue in U.S. history, particularly in the context of federal territories deciding whether to enter the Union as free or slave states. The term "squatter sovereignty" was used by its opponents, especially in New England, to criticize this doctrine. The violent struggle for control of the Kansas Territory, known as Bleeding Kansas, illustrated the failure of popular sovereignty as a possible ground for agreement between proslavery and antislavery factions.
In a democracy, popular sovereignty is expressed in four ways:
- Immediate: The people make the law themselves.
- Mediated: The people's sovereignty is exercised through representatives who are subject to election and recall.
- Ultimate: The people have a negative or veto over legislation.
- Less dramatic: Popular sovereignty can be something much less dramatic, depending on the specific context and implementation.
