Popular Sovereignty

Definition

Popular sovereignty is the principle that the authority of a state and its government is created and sustained by the consent of its people, who are the source of all political power. It is a key concept in the development of American democracy, as it shifted the locus of political power from the monarch to the people.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Popular sovereignty was a central principle in the American Revolution, as the colonists sought to replace the rule of the British monarch with self-governance by the people.
2. The concept of popular sovereignty was debated during the Constitutional Convention, with some delegates advocating for a stronger central government and others favoring greater state autonomy.
3. The doctrine of popular sovereignty was used to justify the expansion of slavery into new territories, as settlers in these areas were given the right to decide whether to allow or prohibit slavery.
4. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 implemented the principle of popular sovereignty, allowing settlers in those territories to determine the status of slavery through local referendums.
5. The Supreme Court's Dred Scott decision in 1857 challenged the principle of popular sovereignty by ruling that Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories.

Review Questions

• Explain how the concept of popular sovereignty was a key principle in the American Revolution and the development of American democracy.
  • The principle of popular sovereignty was central to the American Revolution, as the colonists sought to replace the rule of the British monarch with self-governance by the people. This shift in the locus of political power from the monarch to the people was a fundamental aspect of the development of American democracy. The colonists believed that the authority of the state and its government should be created and sustained by the consent of the people, who were the true source of political power. This idea of self-determination and the right of the people to decide their own political status and form of government without external compulsion was a driving force behind the American Revolution and the establishment of the United States as an independent nation.
• Describe how the doctrine of popular sovereignty was used to justify the expansion of slavery into new territories and how this led to political tensions and conflicts.
  • The doctrine of popular sovereignty was used to justify the expansion of slavery into new territories, as settlers in these areas were given the right to decide whether to allow or prohibit slavery through local referendums. This led to political tensions and conflicts, particularly between the North and the South. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 implemented the principle of popular sovereignty in these territories, which allowed settlers to determine the status of slavery. However, the Supreme Court's Dred Scott decision in 1857 challenged the principle of popular sovereignty by ruling that Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories. This decision exacerbated the growing sectionalism between the North and the South, as the North saw it as a threat to their opposition to the expansion of slavery, while the South viewed it as a validation of their position. The conflict over the expansion of slavery and the principle of popular sovereignty was a key factor in the outbreak of the Civil War.
• Analyze how the concept of popular sovereignty was debated during the Constitutional Convention and how it influenced the balance of power between the federal government and the states.
  • The concept of popular sovereignty was a central point of debate during the Constitutional Convention. Some delegates advocated for a stronger central government, while others favored greater state autonomy. The principle of popular sovereignty, which held that the authority of the state and its government should be created and sustained by the consent of the people, was a key consideration in these discussions. The delegates had to balance the desire for self-determination and local control with the need for a strong federal government to ensure the stability and unity of the new nation. The resulting system of federalism, which divided power between the central government and the constituent states, was a compromise that reflected the tensions and debates surrounding popular sovereignty. This balance of power between the federal government and the states would continue to be a source of political and constitutional debate throughout American history, as the limits of popular sovereignty and the role of the federal government were constantly negotiated and renegotiated.

Related terms

Self-Determination:

The right of a people to decide their own political status and form of government without external compulsion.

Federalism:

A system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units, such as states or provinces.

Sectionalism:

A strong allegiance to one's own region or section of a country, rather than to the country as a whole, often leading to political tensions and conflicts.