ABSTRACT
The most extensively studied element of coalition politics was government formation. Theories on this subject evolved from variations of Riker's straightforward size principle to sophisticated approaches dealing with bargaining strategies and the different kinds of results they may yield. Bargaining between parties is a key element of coalition government. Coalition agreements link government formation to government life. From country reports people came to know that there is variation in the time and energy devoted to policy negotiations during government formation. This means, that coalition agreements, the written documents containing all kinds of intentions on coalition policy, may also vary between coalitions and between countries. A minimum position with respect to the actual meaning of such coalition agreements is taken by Laver and Schofield in their book Multiparty Government. They argue that interparty policy negotiations have a symbolic meaning, confirming the common viewpoints rather than they are organized to establish agreement on policy conflicts.
