Opposing Power Building Opposition Alliances in Electoral Autocracies

• Main Author: Ong, Elvin (auth)
• Format: Electronic Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: University of Michigan Press 2022
• Series: Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies
• Subjects: Politics & government; Political structures: democracy; Comparative politics; Electoral Autocracies, Electoral Authoritarian Regimes, Electoral Authoritarianism, Dominant Parties, Democratization, Democratic Reforms, Opposition Parties, Opposition Alliances, Opposition Coalitions, Opposition Cooperation, Opposition Coordination, Pre-Electoral Alliances, Pre-Electoral Coalitions, Opposition Campaigns, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Philippines, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore
• Online Access: DOAB: download the publication; DOAB: download the publication; DOAB: description of the publication

Opposing Power argues that perceptions of regime vulnerability and mutual dependency by opposition elites shape the building of opposition alliances. When electoral autocracies are consistently dominant, opposition parties eschew fully fledged alliances. At best, they allocate only one candidate to contest against the incumbent in each subnational electoral district to avoid splitting the opposition vote. However, when multiple regime-debilitating events strike within a short period of time, thus pushing an incumbent to the precipice of power, opposition elites expect victory, accepting costly compromises to build alliances and seize power. Opposing Power shows how oppositions build these alliances through case study comparisons in East and Southeast Asia-between the Philippines and South Korea in the late 1980s, and between Malaysia and Singapore from 1965 to 2020.