Kongressmandat

Kongressmandat is a term used in German-language political science to denote the seat or mandate of a member of a congress. It refers to the legal authority granted to an individual to represent voters in a deliberative assembly that is organized as a congress, such as the national congress of a country or a supranational congress. A kongressmandat arises when an election or appointment confirms a representative; it lasts for a fixed term defined by the constitution or electoral law and ends with the completion of the term, reelection, resignation, or displacement.

Representation can be direct or via party lists, depending on the electoral system. In direct mandates, the candidate wins an electoral district by plurality or majority; in party mandates, seats are allocated proportionally to parties and filled by candidates from party lists. In some systems, vacancies are filled by the next eligible candidate on the list or by by-election.

Functions of a kongressmandat include lawmaking, representation of constituents, oversight of the executive, and approval of budgets. Members commonly sit in committees and have parliamentary immunity or privileges, governed by constitutional and legislative rules.

Terminology: Kongressmandat is primarily a descriptive term in political science and is not universally used for all national legislatures. Some languages differentiate between Kongress and Parliament; in others, the term is used mainly in comparative contexts or when referring to bodies explicitly called a congress.

See also: Congress, parliament, electoral system, mandate, proportional representation, direct mandate.