---
title: "Popular Sovereignty Definition | Model Diplomat"
description: "Popular sovereignty means political authority comes from the consent of the governed, making it key for Model UN students and policy researchers."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/popular-sovereignty"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Popular sovereignty is the doctrine that legitimate political authority derives from the consent of the governed, making the people the ultimate source of state power.
- Who is the principal theorist of popular sovereignty?
- How does popular sovereignty differ from parliamentary sovereignty?
- What was popular sovereignty's special meaning in antebellum American politics?
- How is popular sovereignty reflected in the Indian Constitution?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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Stephen A. Douglas invoked popular sovereignty in the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854, letting territorial settlers vote on slavery and igniting the "Bleeding Kansas" violence.

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