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The Constitution of the United States, page one
USCIS Civics · Question 4 of 128

The U.S. Constitution starts with the words “We the People.” What does “We the People” mean?

Official Answer

Self-government

Also accepted: Popular sovereignty · Consent of the governed · People should govern themselves · +1 more

In plain English

“We the People” means self-government. The people — not a king — created the American government. The government gets its power from the people. This idea is also called popular sovereignty, or consent of the governed. It is an example of a social contract: the people agree to create a government, and the government serves the people. “We the People” means the people should govern themselves.

From the archives

The Constitution of the United States, page one
The Constitution of the United States, page oneNational Archives, via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Image: The Constitution of the United States, page one — National Archives, via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.Answers verbatim from USCIS M-1778 (09/25)