Mandato

Mandato is a term used in several Romance languages and in English, with meanings that range from political authorization to a legal appointment. It derives from Latin mandatum, meaning an order or directive. In everyday use, the word can refer to an obligation, a command, or the period during which someone serves in a position of authority.

In politics, a mandate is the authorization granted by voters to elected representatives to govern or to pursue a stated program. The concept is central to debates about accountability and legitimacy: a winner may claim a mandate to implement campaign pledges, while opponents question the strength or interpretation of such a mandate. The interpretation of a mandate varies across political systems and can depend on election results, party platforms, and constitutional rules.

In civil law and contract law, a mandate is a formal arrangement whereby one person, the mandator, authorizes another, the mandatary, to perform acts on the mandator’s behalf. The mandatary acts within the scope of the authority given and owes fiduciary duties to the mandator. The contract can be broad or limited in scope and may arise in commercial, administrative, or personal contexts.

Historically, the term also appears in international law: after World War I, League of Nations mandates referred to territories administered by one state on behalf of the League, a framework later superseded by other forms of trusteeship and UN mechanisms.

In contemporary usage, mandato appears in various languages to denote a term of office (the duration of service), a formal assignment, or an electoral/authoritative mandate. Etymologically linked to command and instruction, the term conveys the idea of authority conferred to act.