Mandate and manifesto
- Created by: rosiekennedy
- Created on: 16-12-18 19:55
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- Mandate and manifesto
- Doctrine of the mandate
- Central to the relationship between the electorate, parties and government
- Mandate implies the consent of the people, allowing a political party to do what they feel is necessary for the national interest
- When a party wins an election and forms government, it has a mandate to carry out all the policy commitments contained in its election manifesto
- Significance of mandates / manifestos
- Voters feel confident they understand which policies they are consenting to
- However doctrine does assume voters have full knowledge and can make rational judgment
- Wining party gains legitimacy for its policies
- Parliament / devolved assemblies can call government to account on the basis of their manifesto
- Gives voters the opportunity to judge the performance of government when election time comes around
- All MPs from wining party who are elected are bound in by the mandate
- Leaders can maintain discipline among members as they were all elected on the same mandate
- Voters feel confident they understand which policies they are consenting to
- Problems with the doctrine of mandate
- If there's a coalition, the content of the mandate is unclear as one party's manifesto no longer applies
- If a minority government is formed they can't legitimately claim a mandate
- Voters who opt for one party don't necessarily agree with all its manifesto commitments
- Mandate doctrine does assume the electorate has given its consent to the whole manifesto
- After a party takes power, circumstances may change and they may have to amend policies or abandon some
- A governing party does not have a mandate for such changes
- Some manifesto commitments may be rather vague and open to interpretation
- Makes calling the government to account on the basis of its manifesto difficult and open to dispute
- Doctrine of the mandate
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