Opposition is a necessary and valuable component of democracy, providing a check on government power and allowing citizens to express their views through political channels. This workshop aims to shed light on the complex dynamics of opposition behaviour and its effects in parliaments. It also addresses the challenges that are raised by incorporating the opposition perspective in parliamentary studies, given its increased importance and visibility as a result of reforms and new party strategies.
Opponents challenge prevailing ideas and policies by questioning established norms and pushing for reforms. Often, they highlight social and political injustices in their efforts to influence governance and societal structures. The ‘no taxation without representation’ sentiment, for example, helped lay the foundation for American independence by framing government authority as contingent upon the consent of the governed. In more recent history, opposition movements have played a key role in fighting for civil rights and promoting equality in the workplace and in education.
Often, opposition takes the form of political parties that do not have the majority of seats in parliament. The party leader of the official Opposition is called the Leader of the Opposition and he/she heads a group of Members, sometimes called the Opposition Executive or Shadow Ministry. At times the number of Members in the Opposition Executive has been equal to or even greater than that of Ministers.
Opposition can take different forms, including direct and distant. In the position shown below, with Black to move, White has direct opposition but this is not enough to win; it must be converted into diagonal or distant opposition.