Challenges to Sovereignty Practice Test

Secondary source excerpt (96 words): Scholars of European integration note that EU membership creates a “shared sovereignty” in which national governments voluntarily accept binding rules made beyond their borders. EU law has supremacy in many policy areas, and the European Court of Justice can require states to change domestic legislation to comply with treaties. The single market also limits unilateral trade and regulatory decisions, since common standards are designed to reduce barriers among members. As a result, even powerful states may find that key economic and legal choices are constrained by supranational institutions.

Which statement best explains the challenge to state sovereignty described above?

Secondary source excerpt (115 words): Observers of regional integration argue that supranational legislatures can shape domestic policy through directives that member states must transpose into national law. Even when governments negotiate the rules, once adopted they can bind future administrations and limit policy experimentation. Supporters claim this prevents a “race to the bottom” by setting common labor and consumer protections; critics contend it reduces democratic responsiveness because decisions are made through multi-level institutions that are less directly accountable to national electorates. The key point is that authoritative rule-making is shared upward, constraining the state’s exclusive lawmaking power.

Which option best explains the sovereignty challenge described?