Rights
In a democracy authority comes from the people.
The People of the United States.
The idea that the political authority of government comes from the people.
people choose to follow its laws.
Consent of the governed.
The idea that political authority belongs to the people is known as 'popular sovereignty.' This idea was thought of by philosopher John Locke.
Polling tells about the specific viewpoint of people on a particular topic. It gives people the opportunity and authority to speak for themselves.
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After the war, Americans adopted the idea of republicanism. The idea was that instead of a king the people would have rule. The government would get it's authority from the people and be responsible to them.
The Parliament does
Authority can be given to someone by position (as in a job title or promotion) or it can be assumed by a person's attitude and knowledge on a subject. For example, if 15 random people were stranded on a desert island, a person with experience or knowledge of survival skills would probably be seen as an authority.