What principle suggests that government derives its power from the consent of the governed?

The principle that suggests government derives its power from the consent of the governed is known as popular sovereignty. This concept is foundational to democratic governance, asserting that the authority and legitimacy of the government stem from the will and agreement of the people it serves. In a system based on popular sovereignty, citizens have the right to influence, contest, or change their government through mechanisms such as voting, petitions, and civic engagement.

This principle supports the idea that it is the citizens who grant power to their government, establishing a direct relationship between the rulers and the ruled. Popular sovereignty emphasizes that governmental actions should reflect the desires and needs of the populace, reinforcing the critical notion that the legitimacy of government is conditional upon its representation of the people's will.

On the other hand, checks and balances refer to the system designed to prevent any one branch of government from overpowering the others, separation of powers divides governmental responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch's powers, and federalism describes the division of power between national and state governments. While these concepts are integral to how government functions and maintains order, they do not directly address the source of governmental authority as popular sovereignty does.