Description: Why Opposition Parties Use Alliances to Fight Autocracy, and When They Don't
Review Quotes:
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"