The role of the opposition in a functioning democracy

[Rainman05]

despite the name: opposition; the role of the opposition is NOT to oppose everything that the ruling party does.

I know, I know, some people think that that's what meaning of opposition party: just flat out oppose anything. But that's because those who think this skipped out on civics class.

Here is why an opposition party needs to exist.
Because whenever a bill is being proposed by the ruling party, the opposition, being the fresh pair of eyes on the bill, will look at it and point out the holes in it. Do it logically and charismatically, and you win political points. Now to score more political points, you help with ironing out the problems and making the bill into a proper bill that, when passed and subsequently signed into law, would benefit the country. And because you, the opposition, behaved properly, you came out the victors in that exchange.

The opposition also needs to exist to be a watchdog on the way the govt functions. Normally, every single expenditure should be looked at by the opposition... keep tabs on all govt programs and see where the money goes and to what end... and whenever you, the opposition, find an irregularity or waste or smth, you make it public to the world. You go out and shout: THE GOVT IS WASTING YOUR MONEY ON:
-<item #1 of wasteful spending... say, spend 1bil $ on penis enlargement experiments on frogs>
-<item #2 of wasteful spending>
etc
You display all that waste charismatically and in a logical manner, with facts and evidence, and you win political points and bring shame to the ruling party for it's incompetence for putting such things in the budget. Do this enough and you both win the next election AAAND you make the country work better and respect your duty to the citizenry.

What the opposition party doesn't do is get in the way of the ruling party in a gross and obscene manner like causing a govt shutdown. You don't accomplish anything like this except make yourself look like an idiot. What you do is you let the ruling party act... keep an eye on their activities and shame them whenever they screw the pooch. and you score political points.

This is how a democracy should function. this is the role of the opposition... to be a watchdog. to be a supervisor. to be the mother that looks at the kids' homework every evening to make sure the kid did his ****ing homework.

Now this is basic stuff.. 8th grade civics lesson really. I knew this crap since I was 12 or 13 and understood it.

 

[Drake McHugh]

despite the name: opposition; the role of the opposition is NOT to oppose everything that the ruling party does.

I know, I know, some people think that that's what meaning of opposition party: just flat out oppose anything. But that's because those who think this skipped out on civics class.

Here is why an opposition party needs to exist.
Because whenever a bill is being proposed by the ruling party, the opposition, being the fresh pair of eyes on the bill, will look at it and point out the holes in it. Do it logically and charismatically, and you win political points. Now to score more political points, you help with ironing out the problems and making the bill into a proper bill that, when passed and subsequently signed into law, would benefit the country. And because you, the opposition, behaved properly, you came out the victors in that exchange.

The opposition also needs to exist to be a watchdog on the way the govt functions. Normally, every single expenditure should be looked at by the opposition... keep tabs on all govt programs and see where the money goes and to what end... and whenever you, the opposition, find an irregularity or waste or smth, you make it public to the world. You go out and shout: THE GOVT IS WASTING YOUR MONEY ON:
-<item #1 of wasteful spending... say, spend 1bil $ on penis enlargement experiments on frogs>
-<item #2 of wasteful spending>
etc
You display all that waste charismatically and in a logical manner, with facts and evidence, and you win political points and bring shame to the ruling party for it's incompetence for putting such things in the budget. Do this enough and you both win the next election AAAND you make the country work better and respect your duty to the citizenry.

What the opposition party doesn't do is get in the way of the ruling party in a gross and obscene manner like causing a govt shutdown. You don't accomplish anything like this except make yourself look like an idiot. What you do is you let the ruling party act... keep an eye on their activities and shame them whenever they screw the pooch. and you score political points.

This is how a democracy should function. this is the role of the opposition... to be a watchdog. to be a supervisor. to be the mother that looks at the kids' homework every evening to make sure the kid did his ****ing homework.

Now this is basic stuff.. 8th grade civics lesson really. I knew this crap since I was 12 or 13 and understood it.

You want no opposition. Doubt you felt the same way before Obama.

 

[rathi]

Under the American system, the opposition party has quite a bit of power. By controlling the house, the Republicans can block any new legislation legitimately. Attempting to repeal existing law however is exceeding the power allowed to them by the legislature. If this shutdown succeeds, it will set a precedent that the minority party can simply override the legislative process if they are crazy enough. It undermine the whole system and cannot be tolerated.

 

[Respecthelect]

Depending on the strength of the opposition, they have a right to some deference. Opposition requests for changes are not blackmail, they do not undermine anything and they can be tolerated. A petulant, foot-stomping crybaby president can have his party voted out of legislature and executive, if that's the attitude he wants to take. Democracy is compromise and Obama wants no part of it. He passed the un-Affordable Health Care Act with out compromising (not one Republican voted for it). He'll probably win this argument without compromise, even though he could easily throw the opposition a bone. Democrats will soon pay a price, though. Americans don't like crybaby presidents and Obama's setting Democrats up to lose big.