Sovereignty: Constitutional and Historical Aspects

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the concept of sovereignty under its historical and legal dimensions. Having evolved from the medieval dogma of divine right to the modern system of representative government, the concept of sovereignty legitimates the form of polity widely spread today, thus being recognized as the key constitutional foundation of statehood. While any organized society requires a supreme authority capable of wielding the prerogatives of state power, its nature as well as the source of its legitimacy remains a matter of great debate. Several philosophers have worked to provide answers to this, leading to significant changes in political theory with regard to the concept of sovereignty and supreme power.