A line graph titled U S Popular vote for president as percentage of total population shows year on the x axis from 1788 to 2012 and percent on the y axis from 0 to 50 in increments of 5. In 1788, 2 percent, increases to 10 percent in 1828, 15 percent in 1868, 20 percent in 1916, 37 percent in 1940, 41 percent in 1992, 44 percent in 2008. What democratic ideal in the US Constitution is reflected in the overall trend of the graph?

a. federalism
b. popular sovereignty
c. limited government
d. individual rights