What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to explain the process of coalition dissolution and the factors leading to prolonged persistence or failure to dissolve.

April 12, 2026Open Access

Coalition Dissolution: How Drift Ends — and Why It Sometimes Doesn't

Key Points

This research aims to explain the process of coalition dissolution and the factors leading to prolonged persistence or failure to dissolve.
Analysis of coalition lifecycle stages, including formation, stabilization, and dissolution.
Examination of factors influencing drift propagation and persistence in workflows.
Assessment of governance mechanisms for tracking dissolution events.
Coalition dissolution occurs in four stages: formation, stabilization, drift propagation, and dissolution.
Some coalitions persist longer than expected due to strong inter-agent support.
Long-lived drift artifacts can remain after dissolution, affecting future workflows.

Abstract

Coalition drift is a lifecycle phenomenon. Coalitions form when agents share context, stabilize when agents reinforce each other’s inferences, propagate drift across workflows, and eventually dissolve — or fail to dissolve. Coalition formation is inevitable. Coalition dissolution is not. This paper explains how coalitions dissolve, why some persist longer than expected, and why others never fully dissolve — leaving behind long-lived drift artifacts that contaminate future workflows. Dissolution is not the end of drift. It is the beginning of drift containment. Governance must track dissolution events because this is where drift becomes either contained or institutionalized.

Coalition Dissolution: How Drift Ends — and Why It Sometimes Doesn't

Key Points

Abstract

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