Formal rules, informal norms and the everyday practice of coalition governance

Despite the significant attention devoted to their birth and death, the day-to-day operation of coalition government remains understudied. This article addresses this lacuna, and sheds light on the dynamics of coalition governance by examining the interplay between macro-level institutions, meso-level values and micro-level practices. Focusing on the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition that governed the United Kingdom between 2010-15, this analysis reveals the extent to which the everyday practice of coalition governance is flexible, contingent, and proceeds through informal negotiation and accommodation. It also draws attention to the dilemmas faced by coalition actors in terms of reconciling competing loyalties and appeasing a wide range of audiences. Through this analysis, the article makes an important distinction between the ‘rules-in-form’ and ‘rules-in-use’ of coalition governance, and between the different ways that coalition governance is enacted on the ‘frontstage’ and ‘backstage’. Together, these findings point to an important new avenue of research for coalition scholars.