A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intensions, often political in nature.
In the United Kingdom, and in some other parliamentary democracies, political parties prepare electoral manifestoes which set out both their strategic direction and outlines of prospective legistlation should they win sufficient support in a election in order to serve in government. Legislative proposals which have featured in the manifesto of a party which has won an election are often regarded as having superior legitimacy to other measures which a governing party may introduce for consideration by the legislature.
Examples of manifestos: