Mandate (politics)

In politics, a mandate is the authority granted by a constituency to act as its representative.

Elections, especially ones with a large margin of victory, and are often said to give the newly elected government or elected official an implicit mandate to put into effect certain policies. When a government seeks re-election they may introduce new policies as part of the campaign and are hoping for approval from the voters, and say they are seeking a "new mandate". Governments and elected officials may use language of a "mandate" to lend legitimacy to actions that they take in office.

In some languages, a "mandate" can mean a parliamentary seat won in an election rather than the electoral victory itself. In case such a mandate is bound to the wishes of the electorate, it is an imperative mandate, otherwise it is called "free".

See also

• Consent of the governed
• Election promise
• Government platform
• Legitimacy
• Party platform
• Referendum
• Social contract

References

Bibliography

• Azari, Julia R. (2014). Delivering the People's Message: The Changing Politics of the Presidential Mandate. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0-8014-5224-6. JSTOR 10.7591/j.ctt5hh0ft.
• "Doctrine of Mandate". A dictionary of political phrases and allusions: with a short bibliography By Hugh Montgomery, Philip George Cambray.

Further reading

• Heidotting Conley, Patricia (2001). Presidential Mandates: How Elections Shape the National Agenda. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-11482-8.