The Constitution
sovereignty
Supreme authority within a territory. In the American system it is divided: the federal government, the states, and tribal nations each hold some.
In full
Dual sovereignty is why the same act can be prosecuted by both a state and the federal government without violating double jeopardy, and why states cannot be commandeered into administering federal programs. Tribal nations hold a third, inherent sovereignty that predates the Constitution. Popular sovereignty is the separate idea that all of this authority originates with the people.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.