This collection of essays examines the efforts of policymakers from three presidential administrations to produce lasting policy changes.

Old-school divide-and-conquer tactics—demonizing opponents, frightening voters, refusing to compromise—may make us feel good about the purity of our ideals, but it's no way to get anything done. Worse, this approach betrays some of the most cherished ideals of the progressive movement: inclusion, reason, justice, and hope. Illuminated by examples from her own work and a host of campaigns across the country, Kyrsten Sinema shows how to forge connections—both personal and political—with seemingly unlikely allies and define our values, interests, and objectives in ways that broaden our range of potential partners and expand our tactical options. With irreverent humor, enthralling campaign stories, and solid, practical advice, Sinema enables us to move past “politics as war” and build support for progressive causes on the foundation of our common humanity.

The party whips are essential components of the U.S. legislative system, responsible for marshalling party votes and keeping House and Senate party members in line. In The Whips, C. Lawrence Evans offers a comprehensive exploration of coalition building and legislative strategy in the U.S. House and Senate, ranging from the relatively bipartisan, committee-dominated chambers of the 1950s to the highly polarized congresses of the 2000s. In addition to roll call votes and personal interviews with lawmakers and staff, Evans examines the personal papers of dozens of former leaders of the House and Senate, especially former whips. These records allowed Evans to create a database of nearly 1,500 internal leadership polls on hundreds of significant bills across five decades of recent congressional history. The result is a rich and sweeping understanding of congressional party leaders at work. Since the whips provide valuable political intelligence, they are essential to understanding how coalitions are forged and deals are made on Capitol Hill.

Coalitions are the commonest kind of democratic government, occurring frequently in most countries of western Europe. It is usually assumed that political parties came together in a government coalition because they agree already, or can reach an agreement, on the policy it should pursue. This book examines this idea using evidence from party election programmes and government programmes. It demonstrates that party policies do influence government programmes, but not to the extent they would if policy-agreement were the sole basis of coalition.

Coalitions and Partnerships in Community Health is astep-by-step guide for building durable coalitions to improvecommunity and public health. This important resource provides an in-depth, analytical, andpractical approach to building, sustaining, and nurturing thesecomplex organizations. Author Frances Dunn Butterfoss includes all the tools forsuccess in collaborative work from a research and practice-basedstance. The book contains useful approaches to the issues,recommendations for action, resources for further study, andexamples from actual coalition work. Coalitions and Partnerships in Community Healthexplores Historical foundations of coalitions and partnerships Principles of collaboration and partnering Benefits and challenges of a coalition approach Coalition frameworks and models Cultivating coalition leadership Roles and responsibilities of coalition staff, leaders, andmembers Communication, decision-making, and problem-solvingmethods Vision, mission, and bylaws Effective marketing Planning for sustainability Approaches to assessment Developing strategic and action plans Implementing coalition strategies in the community Media advocacy, strategies, and tips Participatory coalition evaluation

This book develops a new theory of collaborative lobbying and influence to explain how antipoverty advocates gain influence in American social policymaking.

The labor movement sees coalitions as a key tool for union revitalization and social change, but there is little analysis of what makes them successful or the factors that make them fail. Amanda Tattersall—an organizer and labor scholar—addresses this gap in the first internationally comparative study of coalitions between unions and community organizations. She argues that coalition success must be measured by two criteria: whether campaigns produce social change and whether they sustain organizational strength over time. The book contributes new, practical frameworks and insights that will help guide union and community organizers across the globe. The book throws down the gauntlet to industrial relations scholars and labor organizers, making a compelling case for unions to build coalitions that wield "power with" community organizations. Tattersall presents three detailed case studies: the public education coalition in Sydney, the Ontario Health Coalition in Toronto, and the living wage campaign run by the Grassroots Collaborative in Chicago. Together they enable Tattersall to explore when and how coalition unionism is the best and most appropriate strategy for social change, organizational development, and union renewal. Power in Coalition presents clear lessons. She suggests that "less is more," because it is often easier to build stronger coalitions with fewer organizations making decisions and sharing resources. The role of the individual, she finds, is traditionally underestimated, even though a coalition's success depends on a leader's ability to broker relationships between organizations while developing the campaign's strategy. The crafting of goals that combine organizational interest and the public interest and take into account electoral politics are crucial elements of coalition success.