Bipartisanship in an Era of Division

Bipartisanship, the communal agreement to support the party in power regardless of opposing views, is essential for the health of a two-party system. These compromises ensure that the overall wellbeing of the country is placed at the foreground. In the United States, this political phenomenon has severely damaged, and serves to divide, the American people. In decades past, being a democrat or a republican has simply indicated which party you naturally lean towards, with actual policy swaying a voter’s choice come election day. Yet in the past handful of elections, the two dominant US parties have each grown more and more extreme and combative, with party affiliations terminating personal relationships, sparking political violence at a higher rate than ever, and enabling a skyrocketing trend of demeaning rhetoric on social media. Although the use of media and the concentration of information controls a majority stoked the flames of this divide, the Trump presidency was the spark. 

The decency of a respectful and honorable transfer of power was nowhere to be seen on January 6th, 2020. The insurrection at the capital of the United States was a defining moment for America in understanding that now more than ever in the 21st century, our democracy is in grave jeopardy. This act of domestic terrorism cracked the foundation of the bipartisanship structure and allowed voters to partake in the destruction. The 2024 election campaigns affirmed this, as the two sides lashed out at each other over stark differences in policy. The proposed legislation in the categories of childcare, gun safety, climate change, economics, healthcare, and abortion were all vastly different, and once again continued the divide that grew into a chasm. Family and social structures crumbled as Donald Trump was elected as the 47th president, as political affiliations and voting decisions terminated relationships, even amongst families, for average Americans throughout the country. 

The two-party system, like any other political structure, is flawed. Bipartisanship is the glue that maintains civility from the democratic and republican parties, and it is threatening extinction. As Americans, we need to be voting, supporting, and speaking out for government figures that not only abide by this sensation, but demand it in the future. Furthermore, we need to staunchly resist politicians that are fueling divisive rhetoric towards the opposite party and call out immature behavior in its entirety. This is, afterall, the future of our nation and not a juvenile argument on the playground.