According to Rousseau, sovereignty resides in whom?

• A. The king.
• B. The general will of the people.
• C. The aristocracy.
• D. The legislature.

Answer: (B)

Sovereignty, for Rousseau, rests with the people as a whole through the general will. The general will is the collective, common-interest orientation of the community, not the preferences of a single ruler, a privileged class, or a particular assembly. It is the source of legitimate law, and laws express this general will rather than the private interests of individuals or factions. Governments and legislatures are simply instruments that carry out the general will; they derive authority from the people but do not themselves possess ultimate sovereignty. When a government acts against the general will, its legitimacy is undermined, since true sovereignty remains with the people collectively.