Coalition Game Research: A Reexamination

A number of coalition game studies which purport to test Caplow's theory of coalitions are analyzed and judged to be inappropriate tests of that theory. It is argued that Gamson's cheapest-winning-coalition theory is the more appropriate theoretical explanation of the findings of those studies. Finally, it is suggested that the rather limited findings of coalition game research might be integrated into a broader, more comprehensive theory of coalition choice behavior by pursuing the theoretical notions of Ofshe and Ofshe's maximization-of-expected-utility theory of social decision making.