This book is an inquiry into the history of the idea of popular sovereignty as it has been shaped by the struggles between rulers and ruled. It builds on the notion that a thorough analysis of how the idea of popular sovereignty emerges from, and interacts with, a political history of contention within changing polities can help us to draw similarities and differences with our own age.

Geneviève Nootens is a Professor in the Social Sciences Department and holds the Canada Research Chair in Democracy and Sovereignty at the University of Québec at Chicoutimi, Canada.

1. Introduction 2. Popular Sovereignty from the Middle Ages to the early-modern period 3. Ruler sovereignty, popular sovereignty and state sovereignty 4. Sovereignty modern polities 5. The people as the source of political legitimacy in the nation 6. Popular sovereignty in liberal democratic regimes 7. Plurinational challenges 8. Popular sovereignty in the era of globalization 9. Conclusion