Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Entering into coalitions has become a standard tactic for
interest groups trying to maximize success while minimizing cost. The
strategic conditions underlying decisions to form or join coalitions
are beginning to be explored in the political science literature, yet
very little is known about the process and criteria through which
interest groups select coalition partners. In this paper, I explore the
partner selection process by applying a spatial theory of coalition
formation (c.f. Laver & Shepsle 1996) to interest group
participation on Amicus Curiae briefs from 1999-2003. Using
multidimensional scaling (MDS) techniques, I demonstrate that the
lobbying efforts of groups can be used to generate a general
ideological orientation for each group. With captured ideology scores,
I generate statistical models of interest group participation before
the Supreme Court, both in terms of frequency of participation and
coalition partner selection. This research demonstrates that the
“ideology” scores captured for each group are powerful predictors of
both which side of a particular issue a group can be expected to
support and also of which other groups are likely to be selected as
coalition partners.