Political sovereignty
Topic: State, Government and Governance: Organs, Levels and the Citizen · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Political sovereignty is the power behind the legal sovereign. It is the body whose will finally prevails, and it is usually the voters. A.V. Dicey drew this distinction. The law-making body holds legal power, but the people decide who sits in it and can remove them. In India, political sovereignty rests with the people. The Preamble opens with "We, the People".
Example
In a general election, voters can remove a ruling party from power. Universal adult franchise (Art. 326) gives this power to every adult citizen. The 61st Amendment (1988) lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.
Don't confuse with
- Legal sovereignty: this is the supreme power to make and enforce law. In India it lies in the Constitution. Political sovereignty is the people's power that stands behind it.