In politics, coalition is commonly used to describe the coming together of a number of individuals or groups to pursue a certain end. They are alliances of "parties, persons or states without permanent incorporation into one body." (OED).

Coalition is considered the most peaceful of outcomes in the struggle for power, but how peaceful depends upon the institutional context and the decision rules for resolving the conflicts among individuals and their coalitions, in the form of informal agreements, arbitration, or constitutional procedures. This becomes clear by distinguishing among coalitions formed within civil society or the legislature, by groups or political parties.