Title: What is a Mandate? - Definition & Examples - Social Science Class [2021 Video] | Study.com
Headings: What is a Mandate? - Definition & Examples
What is a Mandate? - Definition & Examples
Lesson Transcript
Mandates: When Winning Might Not Be Enough
When Is a Mandate Really a Mandate?
Roosevelt's Mandate
Reagan's Mandate
Truman's Mandate
Obama's Mandate
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Content: Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin, for instance, was elected to office in 2012 and proceeded to pursue a massive change in collective bargaining rights for union employees, something he had barely mentioned during his campaign. The resulting furor (and an attempted recall of his governorship) was a sign that the electorate was not broadly in support of the plan. When a candidate or party makes specific promises to follow certain policies, this is often known as an imperative mandate, in that the candidate is expected to do what he or she promised. On the other hand, candidates are sometimes elected in the absence of specific policy instructions and this is often known as a free mandate, in which the electorate signals its acceptance of the candidate's general agenda, rather than specific policy pieces. In general, though, there is no real way to be certain, outside of electoral outcomes, if a candidate or party actually enjoys a mandate or not. Simply saying that one does isn't really enough (though that doesn't stop anyone from trying). A mandate is an article of perception and in politics, perception is often more important than reality. Lesson Summary
Let's review. A mandate is a signal that a candidate or party has earned the approval of the population to continue or pursue certain policies. An imperative mandate is one that ties a candidate or party to a specific policy, whereas a free mandate indicates a general acceptance of a candidate's agenda.