Popular Sovereignty refers to what principle?

• A. The king holds ultimate power.
• B. The people hold ultimate power.
• C. The courts hold ultimate power.
• D. The military holds ultimate power.

Answer: (B)

Popular sovereignty is the idea that political authority rests with the people. It means the people are the source of government power and rulers gain legitimacy only with the people’s consent. In democracies, this consent shows up through elections, voting, and participation, with laws and policies reflecting the will of the people. The option that says the people hold ultimate power matches this principle.

The other ideas place ultimate power in different sources: a king as the ruler describes a monarchy, the courts as the top authority describes judicial supremacy, and the military as the power holder describes a military dictatorship. None of those reflect the people as the source of political authority.