What principle asserts that the authority of the government resides in the people?

The principle that asserts the authority of the government resides in the people is known as popular sovereignty. This concept is fundamental to democratic governance and emphasizes that the legitimacy of government stems from the consent of the governed. In a system embracing popular sovereignty, the people have the power to influence and determine how they are governed, typically through mechanisms such as voting, referendums, and civic engagement.

This principle is foundational to various democratic institutions and ensures that government actions reflect the will of the citizens. It reinforces the idea that elected officials are accountable to the electorate and must act in accordance with the public’s interests and values.

Federalism, while important, pertains to the division of power between national and state governments rather than the source of governmental authority. Separation of powers focuses on distributing government responsibilities into different branches to prevent any one branch from wielding too much power. Checks and balances involve the mechanisms that ensure that the different branches of government can regulate each other, maintaining a balance of power. Each of these concepts plays a role in the structure of government, but they do not explicitly state that government authority originates from the people themselves, which is the core of popular sovereignty.