A sovereign state is one

1. Analyze the question The question asks for the meaning of a sovereign state. This is a basic concept in Government (the State and Sovereignty).

2. Explain the concept Sovereignty is the supreme, ultimate power of a state to make and enforce laws within its territory, free from outside control. A sovereign state has two key features:

• Internal sovereignty: supreme authority over everything and everyone within its borders.
• External sovereignty: independence from control by other states or foreign powers.

So a sovereign state is simply one that governs itself and takes its own decisions independently.

3. Evaluate the options

• A. Sovereignty vested in the military: Wrong. Sovereignty can be vested in the people, a monarch, a parliament, or the military in a coup situation, but this is not what defines sovereignty itself.
• B. Whose government decisions are made independent: Correct. It captures the essence of sovereignty: the state makes its own decisions without external control. The wording is a bit awkward, but this is the only option that matches the definition.
• C. Citizens can speak without fear or favour: Wrong. This describes freedom of speech, a feature of democracy and human rights, not sovereignty.
• D. Constitution changed only by the military government: Wrong. This describes a particular type of regime, not a sovereign state.

4. Answer The correct option is B.

5. Exam tip For "sovereign state" questions, look for key words like independent, supreme, no external control, or self-governing. Sovereignty is about who has the final say, not about the type of government or the rights of citizens. Remember: Sovereign = Supreme + Independent.