What is the term for the belief that each nation has the right to a free and sovereign government?

• A. Sovereign Nationalism
• B. Self-Rule
• C. Liberal Internationalism
• D. Principle of Self Determination

Answer: (D)

Self-determination is the principle that a nation has the right to determine its own political status and govern itself. It captures the idea of a free and sovereign government by affirming that a people can choose their own system of governance without external coercion, which is central in international law and post-colonial history. The other terms don’t express this recognized right as clearly: they may refer to governance in general or to approaches in international relations, but not to the formal right of a nation to decide its own political future.