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Difficulty: MediumSovereignty: Concept, Types, Characteristics, and Limitations

In a modern constitutional democracy, supreme legal power to enact and repeal statutes is vested in the parliament, whereas the electorate holds the ultimate capacity to determine who forms the government through periodic elections. Which type of sovereignty is exercised by the electorate in this system?

  1. Political sovereigntyAnswer
  2. B
    Legal sovereignty
  3. C
    De facto sovereignty
  4. D
    External sovereignty

Answer

Political sovereignty is exercised by the electorate in a constitutional state.
Political sovereignty is the supreme power of the electorate and public opinion. Although the parliament holds legal sovereignty to enact statutes, it is answerable to the electorate, which holds political sovereignty and determines who forms the legislature.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the distinction between the law-making body and the electorate.
The legislature holds legal sovereignty, while the electorate holds political sovereignty.
Political theorists such as A. V. Dicey distinguished legal sovereignty (the parliamentary authority to make laws) from political sovereignty (the body of voters whose will ultimately prevails).
2
Match the electoral role in the scenario to the defined sovereign categories.
The electorate's supreme political authority through the ballot box represents political sovereignty.
The electorate cannot pass statutes directly, but it elects and holds accountable the legal sovereign.

Key Concept

Sovereignty: Concept, Types, Characteristics, and Limitations
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Sovereignty: Concept, Types, Characteristics, and Limitations

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