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ABSTRACT. Comparative policy research has created problems for traditional justifications of democracy as being uniquely responsive to popular opinion. There seems little party convergence on majority opinion in practice. Few governments rest on spontaneous popular majorities. ‘Consensus democracy’ relies on party elites making policy by excluding popular passions. Can a necessary connection between public opinion and public policy only be made by direct policy voting under direct democracy? We suggest an alternative mechanism – a ‘median mandate’ – and check evidence for its operation in 16 nations from 1972-91 in the important area of central government size, a key component of left-right differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]