Question

short answer: why did popular sovereignty not work when applied? what is a specific example of its failure?

Explanation:

Popular sovereignty can fail due to factors like lack of education among voters leading to uninformed decision - making, and the influence of special interests overpowering the will of the majority. For example, in some local referendums on large - scale infrastructure projects, powerful corporate lobbies may sway public opinion through misinformation campaigns, even though the majority of the general public may not truly benefit from the project.

Answer:

Popular sovereignty may not work due to voter ignorance and the influence of special interests. An example is local referendums on infrastructure projects being influenced by corporate lobbies.