What did the 1922 constitution of the Soviet Union promise?

• A. Guaranteed a capitalist market with private property rights.
• B. An elected legislature called the Supreme Soviet and voting rights for citizens 18 and over.
• C. Established a one-man autocracy with no elections.
• D. Prohibited national self-determination within union republics.

Answer: (B)

Focusing on how the early Soviet state claimed legitimacy, the constitution structured the government around a formal, representative system. It set up a federation of republics and created a central legislative body called the Supreme Soviet, with voting rights extended to all citizens aged eighteen and over. This shows a clear move to democratic mechanisms in principle: people could participate in government by choosing their representatives, and adulthood granted the vote. The other options clash with the socialist framework of the time: it did not promise a capitalist market or private property rights, it was not a one-man autocracy without elections, and the union did recognize national self-determination rather than prohibiting it.