Unconstrained Sovereignty: Delegation of Authority and Reversibility

Abstract

The concept of sovereignty shapes our understanding of the world. Yet our current understanding of sovereignty conflates delegation of authority with loss of sovereignty. Delegation is relatively cheap, quick, and leads to an assured outcome; it’s an affirmation of sovereignty. Use of force, however, is required to regain lost sovereignty. I propose a definition of sovereignty that draws a clear distinction between sovereignty and delegated authority. Adopting this definition shows that sovereignty applies across time and space, it is indivisible, institutions do not place permanent constraints on supreme authority, and popular sovereignty is not a well-grounded concept.