This opening statement from the US Constitution, "We the People of the United States...", establishes the fundamental principle that the legitimacy and authority of the US government derives from the people. Some key ways this is reflected in the modern US political system:
1. Sovereignty resides with the people. The people have the ultimate authority and can change the government and constitution as they see fit. The government is designed to serve the people.
2. There are provisions for the people to have a say in government policymaking and influence their representatives. This includes free speech rights, the right to petition, elections, and more. Representatives must be responsive to citizens.
3. There are limits on government power and protections of individual rights and liberties. The Bill of Rights specifically protects rights that belong to the people, limiting what the government can do.
4. Amending the constitution is possible through direct action by the people and states, not just the federal government. This allows the people to formally change the system that governs them.
5. There is an emphasis on consent of the governed, with government legitimacy flowing from the bottom-up rather than top-down. Government must have the consent and support of the people.
6. Federalism divides power across levels of government and between branches, with checks and balances. This makes it harder for any one group to control government and policymaking against the will of the people. Power remains dispersed.
So in essence, the overall system is designed to be accountable to citizens, limit government power over people, and ensure government officials ultimately derive their authority from the people. That founding principle profoundly shapes American democracy and politics.