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On August 11, 2021, Matthew Lacombe, assistant professor of political science, published new research in Policy Studies Journal, titled “Post-loss power building: The feedback effects of policy loss on group identity and collective action.” The paper investigates how organized political groups have been able to use their policy losses to build power while exploring the ways that policy outcomes can interact with the identity-building efforts of these organizations to create long-term advantages.
To demonstrate how this works, he explained how the National Rifle Association has leveraged gun policy losses to reinforce a shared identity among its supporters.