Imagine a Congress where compromise isn’t a dirty word, where lawmakers from both sides of the aisle come together to craft solutions that benefit all Americans. This isn’t a fantasy, it’s the promise of bipartisanship. This principle, if engaged, could bridge the divides in our nation and pave the way for lasting progress.
Bipartisanship is simply the cooperation, agreement and compromise between two major political parties. It helps to avoid extremes and imbalances in government.
In the United States, especially with the looming election, bipartisanship seems an unlikely concept to many Americans. Few are immune to the supposed binary of red and blue. Political polarization does exist, but people tend to grossly overestimate the polarization within each party. Ordinary Americans also significantly underestimate the proportion of moderates within the opposing party by 77%. We are more united than we think.
These false perceptions highlight the increased need for bipartisanship. Tom Daschle, the former Democratic Minority Leader of the Senate, put it best: “Bipartisanship isn’t an option anymore; it is a requirement.” In policymaking, political feasibility, which is the likelihood of a bill being signed into law, is one of the most crucial metrics considered when drafting legislation. Political feasibility is often highly contingent on both parties of Congress agreeing with each other at least enough to sign a bill into law. In other words, without cooperation between the two parties, Congress will remain gridlocked.
However, fostering bipartisanship is not just a strategic consideration but a fundamental requirement for a well-functioning democracy. Effective governance through bipartisanship incorporates more diverse viewpoints, which serve the broader interests of the nation.
Bipartisan cooperation also reinforces public confidence in the government’s ability to function effectively by showing the public that their elected representatives can set aside their differences to address pressing issues. At a time when only 22% of Americans say they trust the government just about always or most of the time, bipartisan coordination remains more salient than ever.
Historical analysis reveals the merits of bipartisan legislation. From its conception, the U.S. engaged in a terse debate over the governance of the new nation. In 1787, The Great Compromise created a proportional House of Representatives, which satisfied the states with larger populations, and an equally represented Senate, which contented the smaller states.
Bipartisan legislation also created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which made possible the giant leap for humankind, Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon. Since then, bipartisanship has provided food stamps to the needy, protected social security and reformed taxes. There is a long historical precedent of working together to defeat the challenges that threaten our nation.
We seem to have strayed from the clear path of working together to create policy solutions. This is apparent in divisive battles over abortion, housing rights and environmental protections. Such topics suffer from gridlock, hindering the government’s ability to proceed with long-overdue change. In some issues, there doesn’t appear to be any middle ground.
However, in a Pew Research Center poll, over half of Americans said they preferred leaders who compromise over those who stick to their positions. Congress members can take a word of advice from their constituents to collaborate, rather than fight the other party’s legislation.
Although American policymakers and ordinary citizens seem to be more divided across party lines, especially with a nose-to-nose upcoming election, I am still optimistic about the future of policymaking. The recent bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, which boosts domestic semiconductor research and manufacturing, was hailed as a victory that bolstered American supply chains, strengthened national security and invested in important science and technology.
Also, the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that protects clean drinking water and invests in wastewater infrastructure marked an important collaboration between Republicans and Democrats. These are just two instances that show the possibilities of bipartisanship.
Collaboration across the aisle should be the rule, not the exception. Bipartisanship is the lifeblood of our democracy and one of its founding principles. The divided red and blue ought to come together to be the united red, white and blue. After all, we are the United States of America.
Acknowledgment: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the individual author.
