Answer:
D: one that is accepted by its people and other governments as the sovereign authority of a nation
Step-by-step explanation:
The governments around the world can simply be divided into two categories by their legitimacy, legitimate governments and illegitimate governments. The legitimate governments are the ones that are chosen by the people in democratic elections, thus they are accepted by the people of the country. Also, the international community needs to accept the government as legitimate, and that is never an issue if the government has been chosen by the people. On the other hand, there are governments that are illegitimate, which are run by dictators and the people don't have any say in the government.