The political doctrine that the legitimate authority of government derives from the consent of the governed — the people are the ultimate source of political sovereignty.
Against divine right and natural hierarchy: Hobbes derived sovereignty from consent (but to an absolute sovereign); Locke made consent revocable (government violating natural rights forfeits authority). Rousseau's general will: sovereignty cannot be alienated — the people cannot transfer their sovereignty to a representative, only their government. Popular sovereignty as constitutional foundation: the American and French Revolutions operationalized it. The people as constituent power vs. constituted power (Sieyès): the people's will precedes and grounds any constitutional arrangement.
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