A mandate can have different meanings depending on the context. In politics, a mandate is a perceived legitimacy to rule through popular support conveyed through elections, in which voters choose political parties and candidates based on their own policy preferences). It is a social construct based on what is understood to be the will of the voters, and it proposes that political parties are vehicles for policy options. When voters overwhelmingly support a specific party or candidate in an election, it may be interpreted as a communication from the voters that they wish for the associated political platform to be implemented, creating a mandate for that platform).
In a legal context, a mandate can refer to an authoritative command, especially a formal order from a superior court or official to an inferior one. It can also refer to an authorization to act given to a representative.
In international relations, a mandate can refer to an order or commission granted by an international organization, such as the League of Nations, to a member nation for the establishment of a responsible government over a former German colony or other conquered territory.
In general, a mandate can be understood as an order or authorization to do something, whether it is given by a superior court, an international organization, or an electorate.
