Solid coalition
Introduction


In [social choice theory](/wiki/Social_choice_theory "Social choice theory"), a **solid coalition** or [**voting bloc**](/wiki/Voting_bloc "Voting bloc") is a group of voters who support a given group of candidates over any opponent outside the group. Solid coalitions formalize the idea of a [political faction](/wiki/Political_faction "Political faction") or voting bloc, allowing [social choice theorists](/wiki/Social_choice_theory "Social choice theory") to study how [electoral systems](/wiki/Electoral_system "Electoral system") behave when there are [ideological](/wiki/Ideology "Ideology") divisions, without having to make explicit reference to political parties. This definition is useful even in the absence of party labels, or when labels do not accurately reflect ideological divisions in the electorate (as in the cleavages between Northern and [Southern Democrats](/wiki/Southern_Democrats "Southern Democrats") in the 20th century).


How do solid coalitions formalize the idea of a political faction or voting bloc?