Parliamentary Opposition in Non-Parliamentary Regimes: Latin America

Abstract

While the opposition is clearly defined in a parliamentary system, the definition is murky in multiparty presidential regimes. As a result, the role of opposition parties is not always clear. In this article, therefore, we evaluate coalition politics in Latin America, firstly to analyse the presidents’ legislative support and secondly to consider the role of the opposition in lawmaking and oversight of the executive. The data suggest several conclusions. First, coalition politics in Latin America historically reduced the risk of military interventions. Second, though the opposition participates in the elaboration of laws, legislators tend to define their distinctive role as oversight, up to and including measures that force the removal of the president from office.

Keywords: Latin America, legislature, political parties