Mandate (politics)

In representative democracies, a mandate is the authority granted by a constituency to act as its representative. Elections, especially ones with a large margin of victory, 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, seek voter approval, 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 while in office. In some languages, a "mandate" can mean a legislative seat won in an election rather than the electoral victory itself.