8th Grade US History Practice Test

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What principle holds that political power is derived from the people and is exercised through elections?

Federalism

Separation of Powers

Checks and Balances

Popular Sovereignty

Popular sovereignty means the people hold the authority to govern. In a democracy, government gets its power from the consent of the governed, and elections are the main way the public expresses its will. The United States uses this in practice by voting for representatives and the President, giving citizens the power to choose leaders and shape policy. This idea directly ties political power to the people and frames elections as the tool for exercising that power. The other terms describe how government is structured—how power is divided among levels or branches—but they don’t specify the source of power or the people’s method of exercising it through elections.