The concept of popular sovereignty locates ultimate political authority in the people. The theory is as old as hills. The ancient Roman philosophers expounded the idea of popular sovereignty when they asserted that Caesar derived his authority as also his title ultimately from the Roman people.
In the middle ages it was advocated by philosophers like Marsiglio of Padua, George Bhuchanan and Francis Hotman. The doctrine is, however, generally associated with the name of Rousseau, an eminent French philosopher.
Jefferson approved of it in the American Declaration of Independence when he proclaimed that government derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. Since then this doctrine has been generally regarded as the essence of true democracy.
In the words of Bryce, it is the basis and watchword of democracy. In all democratic countries, it is taken for granted that people are the final custodian of political authority. In the opinion of Gilchrist popular sovereignty is the power of the masses as contrasted with the power of an individual ruler or of the classes.
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It implies adult franchise and control of the legislature by the representative of the people. In other words., popular sovereignty is representative democracy.
Though theoretically it may be assumed that people are sovereign yet it is rather difficult to locate sovereignty in this sense. ‘People’ is a vague term as it refers to the whole undetermined and unorganized mass of population including all men and women, old and young. Such an unorganized population is obviously unfit for any political or legal action.
The electorate elects the government and even if we may consider the electorate as a popular sovereign the fact remains that it is incapable of any direct political action. In a modern country-state having a vast population, it must act through its representatives.
The verdict or resolution of an electorate does not become law. This implies that even an electorate is not sovereign in the legal sense. The idea of popular sovereignty in practice, thus, is realized only in small states where direct democratic devices like referendum, initiative, recall and primary assemblies arc employed.
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The foregoing account should not lead us to the conclusion that popular sovereignty has no place in a big state having indirect democracy.
In its broad sense, the doctrine implies that people are the true source of political authority. The authority is implicitly based on their consent. In the words of Dr. Asirvatham, we may bring out the main ideas contained in the concept of popular sovereignty as follows:
“Whatever difficulties we may encounter in defining popular sovereignty, the doctrine contains several valuable ideas.
(a) Government does not exist for its own good. It exists for the good of the people.
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(b) If peoples’ wishes arc deliberately violated, there is the possibility of revolution.
(c) Easy means should be provided for a legal way of expressing public opinion.
(d) Government should be held directly responsible to the people through such means as frequent elections, local self-government, referendum, initiative and recall.
(e) Government should exercise its authority directly in accordance With the laws of the land and not act arbitrarily”
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The concept of popular sovereign is as old as political thought itself. The ancient Roman philosophers talked of it. In the middle ages, it was advocated by Francis. But the doctrine is associated with the name of Rousseau. It is regarded as the essence of true democracy.
Theoretically the doctrine is true but in practice it is difficult to locate sovereign in the people- Some believe that electorate is the real sovereign. This too is not a fact.
The idea of popular sovereignty, in practice, is realized in small states where direct democratic devices like referendum, initiative, recall and primary assemblies are employed. In spite of the fact that it is difficult to locate sovereignty in the people, the people are a true source of political authority and thus truly sovereign.