Which Enlightenment idea underpins the concept of popular sovereignty in the U.S. Constitution?

Which Enlightenment idea underpins the concept of popular sovereignty in the U.S. Constitution?

• A. Social contract and popular sovereignty
• B. Divine right of kings
• C. Feudal obligations
• D. Mercantilism

Answer: (A)

Popular sovereignty in the U.S. Constitution comes from the Enlightenment belief that governments gain their authority from the people who consent to be governed, a core idea of social contract theory. Think of thinkers like Rousseau and Locke, who argued that people form governments to protect their natural rights, and governments derive their legitimacy from the consent of those they govern. In the Constitution, this is expressed through the opening words “We the People,” and through mechanisms that emphasize consent and representation—elections, regular updates to authority through amendments, and the idea that power ultimately rests with the governed. Divine right of kings is the opposite, claiming authority comes from God rather than the people. Feudal obligations describe medieval duties within a hierarchical system, not the source of political legitimacy in a modern republic. Mercantilism is an economic theory about wealth and trade, not about who holds political power.

Popular sovereignty in the U.S. Constitution comes from the Enlightenment belief that governments gain their authority from the people who consent to be governed, a core idea of social contract theory. Think of thinkers like Rousseau and Locke, who argued that people form governments to protect their natural rights, and governments derive their legitimacy from the consent of those they govern. In the Constitution, this is expressed through the opening words “We the People,” and through mechanisms that emphasize consent and representation—elections, regular updates to authority through amendments, and the idea that power ultimately rests with the governed.

Divine right of kings is the opposite, claiming authority comes from God rather than the people. Feudal obligations describe medieval duties within a hierarchical system, not the source of political legitimacy in a modern republic. Mercantilism is an economic theory about wealth and trade, not about who holds political power.