Which principle provides for a system in which a government derives its power from the governed?

Popular sovereignty refers to a system in which the government derives power from the consent of the governed. This was a very popular political ideal during the years of the Enlightenment, when philosophers began to contemplate government systems other than monarchies, and to draw up governments based on the consent of the governed people. These ideals gave rise to the world's democracies, including that which is used in the United States.