1. Foundations of American Democracy

Before the rules, come the ideas. American government rests on a few big principles, many borrowed from Enlightenment thinkers, about where power should come from.

• Popular sovereignty — government's power comes from the people. The people are the ultimate source of authority.
• Social contract — people agree to give up some freedoms in exchange for government's protection of their rights. If government fails, the people may change it.
• Consent of the governed — leaders rule only with the people's agreement, usually expressed through elections.
• Rule of law — everyone, including leaders, must obey the law. No one is above it.
• Limited government — government's power is restricted by law (the Constitution) to protect individual rights.

The Declaration of Independence (1776) put these ideas into famous words: that people have rights to 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness', and that governments get their 'just powers from the consent of the governed'.

⚠️ Common misconception: a democracy does not mean the people vote on every decision. The U.S. is a representative democracy (a republic) — citizens elect officials to make decisions for them.

💡 Tip: when you see 'power comes from the people', think popular sovereignty; when you see 'no one is above the law', think rule of law.