Loyal Opposition
The largest party not in government in a Westminster parliamentary system, which formally organizes itself as the official opposition and shadow government.
Explanation
The concept of the loyal opposition holds that the party out of power has a legitimate, necessary role in democracy: to scrutinize the government, offer alternatives, and be prepared to govern. In Westminster systems, the largest opposition party forms the official opposition with a "shadow cabinet" — a parallel set of spokespeople mirroring government ministers. The word "loyal" means the opposition accepts the legitimacy of the existing constitutional order even while opposing the government of the day. This distinguishes democratic opposition from attempts to destabilize or overthrow the system. The Leader of the Opposition is a formal, paid position in many Westminster democracies.
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