The courts
sovereign immunity
The rule that a government cannot be sued without its consent. Congress has waived much of the federal government's immunity by statute.
In full
The doctrine predates the Constitution and is reinforced for states by the Eleventh Amendment. Congress waived federal immunity for many tort and contract claims through the Federal Tort Claims Act and the Tucker Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act permits suits challenging agency action. Tribal nations also possess sovereign immunity.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.