ACX
Lifeboat Games And Backscratchers Clubs
Scott Alexander uses thought experiments to explore how people form coalitions and support networks, relating these to real-world social and political dynamics.
21 min read 3,120 words
A thread through the archive
coalition formation
Essays tagged “coalition formation”. Follow an idea across the archive.
Essays on coalition formation
2 essaysLW
Schelling fences on slippery slopes
Scott analyzes four mechanisms that make slippery slopes real, using examples like Murder-Gandhi and playing Civilization, and proposes 'Schelling fences' as the solution - clear stopping points that people can credibly commit to defending.
12 min read 1,815 words