Ideas as coalition magnets: coalition building, policy entrepreneurs, and power relations

ABSTRACT

One of the most common ways by which ideas influence policy outcomes is by facilitating the construction of a political coalition. The ideas that have this capacity we call coalition magnets, and this contribution explains how coalition magnets open a path for policy reform. The key components of a coalition magnet are the ambiguous or polysemic character of the idea that makes it attractive to groups that might otherwise have different interests, and the power of policy entrepreneurs who employ the idea in their coalition-building efforts. We illustrate the utility of the concept with an examination of three ideas that were creatively employed to construct new policy coalitions: sustainability; social inclusion; and solidarity.

KEYWORDS:

• Coalition building
• ideas
• interests
• policy entrepreneurs
• power
• public policy

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors thank Tanya Andrusieczko, the reviewers and the other participants in this edited collection project for their comments and suggestions. Daniel Béland acknowledges support from the Canada Research Chairs programme.

Notes

1 The term ‘coalition magnet’ has only been used a few times in the literature (e.g., Layne 2006). On the role of ideas in coalition building see Blyth (2002) and Parsons (2015). From a different perspective, Paul Sabatier (1988) stresses how ‘belief systems’ hold 'advocacy coalitions' together.

2 For an early take on causal beliefs see Goldstein and Keohane (1993).

3 Some scholars also study unsuccessful ideas (e.g., Hacker 1997).

4 For example: Foucault (1982); Hay (1997); Lukes (2005); Morriss (2006).

5 Solidarity is a key aspect of modern social policy language (Béland 2014).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Daniel Béland

Biographical notes

Daniel Béland holds the Canada Research Chair in Public Policy (Tier 1) at the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Saskatchewan.

Robert Henry Cox

Robert Henry Cox is professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of South Carolina and is the director of The Walker Institute of International and Area Studies.