Opposing Power

Elvin Ong is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the National University of Singapore.

“Elvin Ong has written an important book that puts opposition activists at the center of the analysis. The book is motivated by a simple yet powerful observation that pre-election opposition alliance building is critical in determining democratic outcomes. But rather than simply assume that opposition parties represent ‘stackable’ votes against the incumbent regime, Ong highlights the numerous challenges—structural, perceptual, and strategic—that can often undermine the opposition. Ong offers a theory about when and how opposition parties are able to coordinate and ultimately defeat authoritarian rulers, and draws on a careful and empirically rich analysis of four critical Asian cases to substantiate his argument. This book not only forwards important theoretical insights for the democratization literature but also actionable lessons on how to embolden and empower democratic champions.”—Joseph Wong, Professor, Political Science and Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto

• Part I. Introduction, Theory, and Research DesignChapter 1: The Challenges of Building Opposition AlliancesChapter 2: Coordination Problems, Regime Vulnerability, and Inter-Party DependenceChapter 3: Studying Cases in East and Southeast AsiaPart II. Perceptions of Mutual DependencyChapter 4: Opposing Marcos: Opposition Alliance Formation in the PhilippinesChapter 5: Opposing Roh: Opposition Fracture in South KoreaPart III. Perceptions of Regime VulnerabilityChapter 6: The Divergent Party Systems in Malaysia and SingaporeChapter 7: Constructing Opposition Alliances in Malaysia, 1965-2018Chapter 8: Flailing to Build Opposition Alliances in Singapore, 1965-2020Chapter 9: ConclusionNotesBibliographyIndex