Solidarity Through Collective Action: The Role of Community Coalitions in Grassroots Policy Engagement

Abstract

Grassroots advocacy coalitions are one mechanism in which community organizations leverage collective action to influence policy outcomes. This capstone explores the organizational dynamics of advocacy coalitions, focusing on alliance building, resource sharing, and collective action strategies. It aims to fill a gap in the understanding of advocacy coalitions as political entities, offering insights that could empower community organizations to enhance their political engagement capabilities. Utilizing qualitative methods, this study investigates the Seattle Solidarity Budget (SB) coalition, drawing upon the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) as a theoretical lens to analyze the dynamics that enable grassroots coalitions to function as political intermediaries. Key factors influencing the success of the SB include maintaining goal alignment, the strategic use of outside tactics, the ability to build and maintain strong alliances, and the practice of collective care and sustainability within the coalition. These findings contribute to a broader understanding of how grassroots coalitions can effectively mobilize communities, overcome institutional barriers, and catalyze policy change.