coalition

An alliance of various factions or ideological groups in a society brought together to achieve a goal. In community organization, social workers often attempt to form such alliances among influential groups or among less-powerful groups to increase their influence. Coalitions may be ad hoc (organized to address a specific goal or single issue and expected to disband when it is achieved), semipermanent (more formally organized around broader and longer-range goals), or permanent (such as political parties). See ad hoc coalition.