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

In a constitutional democracy, while legal sovereignty is vested in the law-making organ that formulates statutory laws, political sovereignty ultimately resides in which of the following?

  1. A
    The legislative parliament that enacts binding statutes
  2. The electorate who express their political will through electionsAnswer
  3. C
    The executive apparatus that enforces state decisions through physical coercion
  4. D
    The supreme judicial court that interprets constitutional provisions

Answer

The electorate who express their political will through elections
Political sovereignty is the ultimate force behind the legal sovereign. In a democratic system, political sovereignty resides in the electorate because the legal sovereign (the law-making body) is held accountable to and can be replaced by the voters at elections.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Distinguish between legal sovereignty and political sovereignty.
Legal sovereignty refers to the supreme legal power to make and enforce laws (held by the legislature/law-maker). Political sovereignty refers to the ultimate power behind the legal sovereign.
Understanding who holds supreme legal authority versus who holds ultimate electoral authority is essential in political science.
2
Determine the holder of political sovereignty in a democratic government.
In democratic states, political sovereignty is held by the electorate (citizens/voters), because their voting decisions determine who constitutes the legal sovereign body.
The legal sovereign can be altered or removed by the votes of the electorate during elections.

Key Concept

Legal Sovereignty vs. Political Sovereignty
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Sovereignty: Concept, Types, Characteristics, and Limitations

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