Final answer:
To be sovereign is to have supreme power and authority over a territory or populace, with the ability to govern oneself independently. Sovereign states maintain autonomy and have the capacity to create and enforce laws and react to threats without outside interference. Popular sovereignty is a democratic principle where the people hold ultimate power and elect representatives to govern.
Step-by-step explanation:
To be sovereign means to have supreme authority and independence. A sovereign state is one that governs itself, free from external control, and exercises the full authority to make decisions such as engaging in war or peace and forming treaties or alliances. Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise ultimate authority over a geographical region, group of people, or oneself.
In the context of a sovereign state, this concept implies that the state has the ability to run its own institutions without interference and to react to threats independently. This kind of sovereignty allows states to make their laws, enforce them, and protect their interests. In a democratic nation like the United States, popular sovereignty is observed where the power lies with the people, who elect their leaders and have the right to hold them accountable, including the power to impeach.
Internationally, sovereignty is a key principle that ensures that states are recognized as equals in the global system and are entitled to non-interference in their internal affairs. Despite the fact that some states might be more powerful than others, they are all seen as functionally equal. The respect for sovereignty is a core norm in international relations, even in a unipolar system or in cases of a zero-sum game scenario.