What Is Volkssouveränität? Popular Sovereignty in Germany

You typed "Volkssouveränität" into a search bar. Maybe you saw this word in a citizenship test book. It looks long and complicated. Don't worry. You can understand it in five minutes.

What Does "Volkssouveränität" Mean?

The German word "Volkssouveränität" has two parts.

• "Volk" means "the people."
• "Souveränität" means "sovereignty," or "highest power."

Together, the word means: the people hold the highest power in the state. This is a core idea of democracy in Germany. The government does not own this power on its own. The people give this power to the government.

This is one of the most common topics in the Einbürgerungstest. Many people find the word difficult only because it is long. The idea behind it is simple.

The Legal Basis: Article 20 of the Basic Law

Germany's constitution is called the Grundgesetz (Basic Law). Article 20, paragraph 2 of the Grundgesetz says:

"Alle Staatsgewalt geht vom Volke aus."

In English: "All state power comes from the people."

This exact sentence is the answer to two questions on the Einbürgerungstest. If you remember only one sentence, remember this one.

This rule means the people are the source of all political power in Germany. People use this power in two main ways:

1. Elections – citizens vote for their representatives.
2. Referendums (Abstimmungen) – these are rare on the national level, but common in local politics.

Elected representatives then use this power in three areas: making laws (Gesetzgebung), running the government (vollziehende Gewalt), and deciding court cases (Rechtsprechung).

Article 20 also names other basic principles of the German state. Germany is a democracy. Germany is a federal state, made of 16 Bundesländer. Germany is a social state. And Germany follows the rule of law (Rechtsstaat). All of these principles work together.

How You See Popular Sovereignty in Daily Life

You Vote in Elections

Every four years, citizens vote for the Bundestag. The Bundestag is the German federal parliament. Your vote helps decide who governs the country. This is popular sovereignty in action. Without elections, this principle would only exist on paper.

You Can Criticize the Government

In Germany, people can openly say something against the government. Nobody punishes you for sharing your opinion in public. This right is called Meinungsfreiheit (freedom of expression). It comes from Article 5, paragraph 1 of the Grundgesetz.

Example: you can join a peaceful protest against a new law. You can write your opinion online. You can criticize a politician in a newspaper. This is normal and legal in a democracy. Popular sovereignty and free speech belong together. Citizens need information and free debate to use their political power well.

Parents Decide About Religious Education

Here is a smaller example of individual rights in Germany. Parents decide if their child attends religious education class at school. This right exists until the child turns 14 years old.

After age 14, the child decides this alone. This rule comes from the Gesetz über die religiöse Kindererziehung (a law about the religious upbringing of children), § 5. This example shows that state power always has limits. Even parents and children have protected rights.

Where to Learn More About Political Topics

Do you want to learn more about German politics? Every federal state runs an office for civic education. It is called the "Landeszentrale für politische Bildung."

If you live in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, this is important for your local test questions. One exam question asks exactly this: Where can you get information about political topics? The correct answer is: at the Landeszentrale für politische Bildung.

Other federal states have similar offices, sometimes with slightly different names.

Volkssouveränität in the Einbürgerungstest

Two national questions ask about this word directly.

Question	What It Asks	Correct Answer
Frage 52	What does "Volkssouveränität" mean? All state power comes from the ...	Volke (the people)
Frage 61	What does "Volkssouveränität" mean?	The state power comes from the people.

Both questions test the same idea, just with different wording. Memorize this one sentence: "Die Staatsgewalt geht vom Volke aus." All state power comes from the people.

Key Facts at a Glance

Term	Meaning
Volkssouveränität	Popular sovereignty; the people hold state power
Legal source	Article 20, paragraph 2, Grundgesetz
How people use power	Elections and referendums
Related right	Freedom of expression, Article 5, paragraph 1, Grundgesetz
Regional example	Landeszentrale für politische Bildung (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)

Ready to Practice?

Understanding one word is a good start. But the Einbürgerungstest has 460 official questions in total.

Ready for the test? Practice all 460 questions with explanations in your own language.

Start practicing now in the trainer or check the pricing plans for full access.

Dieser Artikel ist Information, keine Rechtsberatung.