Which of the following best describes the concept of "popular sovereignty?"
A. The issue of secession would be determined by the majority of a state's voters (popular opinion).
B. The issue of slavery in territories would be determined by the vote of the people living there (not by Congress).
C. The issue of granting American citizenship would be left to a vote of the members of the county in which the person lived.
D. The issue of enacting a tariff, which affected the nation's sovereignty, would be determined by the popular vote of the American people (not by Congress).
Answer (2)
The concept of popular sovereignty emphasizes that the authority of the government is based on the consent of the governed. Among the provided options, the best representation of this principle is regarding the issue of slavery, where local populations decide the outcome through voting. This idea is of significant historical importance, particularly in understanding the pre-Civil War United States. ;
The best description of popular sovereignty is that the issue of slavery in territories would be determined by the vote of the people living there, not by Congress. This concept emphasizes the authority of governance derived from the consent of the governed. Significant historical events, such as the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, illustrate the implementation of this principle.
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