Coalitions

A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant. Possibly described as a joining of 'factions', usually those with overlapping interests rather than opposing.

Motivation of humans beings for forming coalitions can be explained in terms of evolutionary biology and evolutionary psychology. Humans have adapted to the surrounding environments over generations through the process called, "natural selection." Humans have learned and evolved into ways to endure and survive in a variety of competitions and social problems over time. In that sense, empirically, ancestral groups who socialized survived better over generations, which led to evolution of human brain to tend to form a group of a number of people, which eventually led to coalitions.

According to A Guide for Political Parties[1] published by National Democratic Institute and The Oslo Center for Peace and Human rights, there are five steps of coalition-building:

Coalitions manifest in a variety of forms, types and terms of duration:

A coalition government, in a parliamentary system, is a government composed of a coalition of parties. In Australia, the Coalition is also used to refer to an alliance (coalition agreement) of three parties (the Liberals, Nationals and Country Liberals) existing in federal politics since 1922 - this constitutes a parliamentary coalition. A coalition of parties is also an electoral fusion. The Cambridge Dictionary defines coalition as, "the joining together of different political parties or groups for a particular purpose, usually for a limited time, or a government that is formed in this way".

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