What does the phrase 'We the People' signify?

• A. Popular sovereignty
• B. The power of the states
• C. The supremacy of the courts
• D. The President's authority

Answer: (A)

Popular sovereignty is the main idea here. The phrase “We the People” in the Constitution signals that political power comes from the people themselves, not from a king or from separate branches alone. It means citizens grant authority to the government through their consent and participation—things like voting, electing representatives, and ratifying amendments. This is why the government is legitimized by the people’s authority. The other ideas describe different aspects of government—the states’ power, the courts’ role, and the president’s authority—but none place the source of governmental power as directly arising from the people in the foundational way that this phrase does.