Political Mandates

[Page 618]The term political mandate refers to the authorization that voters give to their political leaders to rule. The mandate is used by the elected or appointed leaders to carry out the explicit or implied wishes of their constituents. Leaders interpret these mandates as giving them the legitimacy needed to govern and carry out policy actions undertaken to satisfy their electorate; the people are the source of the political mandate. Politicians use various communication styles to promote their policies or influence the conversation at the political level as it relates to policy positions. The political leaders exercise ideological and partisan leadership when communicating with the electorate.