mandates
n. countable C1 Advanced US //ˈmænˌdeɪts// UK //mˈændeɪts// man·dates
n. official orders or permissions to do something. They often come from a government or an organization to make a new rule or action legal.
n. official commissions or authorizations to act, given by a superior to an inferior or by an electorate to its representative.
The government issued new mandates for public safety.
After winning by a landslide, the new prime minister claimed a clear mandate to reform the healthcare system.
Legal scholars debated whether the international body had the authority to enforce such mandates without the explicit consent of the sovereign nations involved.
Usage
Often used in political contexts to describe the authority granted by voters or in legal contexts for formal requirements.