Question

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

When a parliamentary cabinet is dissolved following a vote of no confidence and a new administration assumes political office, the legal existence and supreme power of the state remain intact and uninterrupted. Which characteristic of sovereignty best accounts for this structural continuity?

  1. PermanenceAnswer
  2. B
    Indivisibility
  3. C
    Absoluteness
  4. D
    Delegation

Answer

Permanence is the attribute of sovereignty that ensures the supreme authority of the state persists continuously despite changes in rulers, governments, or political administrations.
The characteristic of permanence ensures that state sovereignty survives changes in government, leadership transitions, and political crises. While governments come and go, the sovereign state retains continuous legal identity and ultimate authority.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the scenario presented in the stem.
The scenario focuses on the transition of government power (dissolution of a cabinet and entry of a new administration) while the state's supreme authority remains unchanged.
Identifying the core legal feature—uninterrupted continuity of the state across government changes—points directly to the relevant attribute of sovereignty.
2
Distinguish between the state and the government in political concepts.
Government is transient and composed of temporary officeholders, whereas the state is a permanent entity exercising continuous sovereign power.
Sovereignty belongs to the state, not the temporary government.
3
Evaluate the choices against the characteristics of sovereignty.
Permanence specifically guarantees that state authority endures through cabinet dissolutions or electoral turnovers.
This matches the definition of permanence established in constitutional political theory.

Key Concept

Characteristics of Sovereignty - Permanence
Rate this question