Civics Note / 1 The idea that the power of government lies with the people is called popular sovereignty. Sovereignty means “the right to rule.” The word popular, in this case, means “the people or public.”

Civics Note / 2 The Declaration of Independence is a statement about popular sovereignty. It says that governments should draw their powers “from the consent of the governed.” The same idea in the “We the People” phrase.

Civics Note / 3 The framers of the Constitution firmly believed that the government should be strong, but not too strong. They therefore included in the Constitution the principle of limited government. This means that government can do only what the people allow it to do.

Civics Note / 4 Article IV of the Constitution guarantees the American people “a Republican Form of Government.” Today the word republic can mean any representative government headed by a president or other elected leader.

Civics Note / 5 Under the Constitution, the U.S. government is also limited by the “rule of law.” This means that the law applies to everyone, even to those who govern. No one may break the law.

Civics Note / 6 Under a system of “checks and balances,” each branch of government is able to check, or limit, the power of the other two branches in a number of ways. This is also referred to as the “separation of powers.”