Which term describes citizens' authority to rule themselves through elected representatives?

• A. Popular Sovereignty
• B. Republicanism
• C. Federalism
• D. Individual Rights

Answer: (B)

This question focuses on how citizens exercise political power through elected officials, which is the idea behind republicanism. In a republic, people consent to be governed and choose representatives to make laws and decisions on their behalf. The emphasis is on governing through trusted representatives who act in the public interest, often balancing majority will with protecting individual rights. This distinguishes republicanism from direct democracy, where people vote on every issue, and from other concepts like popular sovereignty broadly describing ultimate authority without specifying the representative mechanism. Federalism is about how power is divided between national and state governments, not the method by which citizens exercise authority, and individual rights are about protections for freedoms rather than the process of governing through elected officials. So the term that best captures “citizens’ authority to rule themselves through elected representatives” is republicanism.