Imperative mandate
The Imperative mandate is a political system in which "representatives enact policies in accordance with mandates and can be recalled by people’s assemblies". It requires a context in which "power is not monopolized by the state, but distributed in a plurality of municipalities and assemblies with specific political authority".History
The imperative mandate goes back to the Middle Ages. It was embraced by the revolutionary assemblies in Paris in 1793 but then banned by the royalist members of the French National Assembly of 1789 to block greater influence by the people. It was also rejected in the American Revolution.
It was embraced in the Paris Commune and by the Council Communism movement.The Imperative Mandate has been used by the United Democratic Front and Abahlali baseMjondolo in South Africa as well as the Zapatistas in Mexico.
