The Myth of Bipartisanship

On Wednesday the 112^th Congress took office; with Republicans controlling the House and Democrats nominally running the Senate (I say nominally because the Republican perversion of the filibuster has made the majority needed to do anything in that Chamber sixty) we will be subjected to the talking head wisdom on the great need in America for a return to  bipartisanship. 

Let’s face it.  Bipartisanship is the myth that everyone likes to talk about but one can hardly find in our governments’ history! When you consider our 220 year history, bipartisanship is an anomaly rather than the standard in American politics.  From 1953-1992  a total of 39 years (out of 220) there was cooperation between a President and a Congress of different parties which enabled the federal government to function.  Between 1789-94, the first six years of Pres. Washington and from 1817-24, the administration of James Monroe, America experienced a non-partisan government without rival political parties.  It can be argued,  that the norm in our federal government (75% of the time of its’ existence) has been extreme partisanship in the conduct of the Presidency and the Congress.

The historical record shows that major domestic questions like: a national bank, the Louisiana Purchase, internal improvements, slavery extension, tariffs, coinage of silver, labor laws, federal reserve,  FDR’s social and economic  programs (after the 100 days), Truman’s’ Fair Deal, Clinton’s ‘93 budget balance proposals, were fiercely debated partisan issues that saw nothing that would resemble a bipartisan approach.  These measures were drafted by the party that controlled the White House and the Congress and may have received some votes from the opposition party but those votes were not needed for passage and they did not come as a result of changing the proposals.  The closest thing to a New Deal bipartisan proposal was TVA the long sought plan of a Republican US Senator – but it took a Democratic President and Congress to pass it and eventually the Republicans gave the boot to that Senator in a primary.

What we have today is divided government with the Executive Branch and the two houses of Congress controlled by different parties.  When that occurs nothing happens without compromise and agreement among the President and the differing majority parties.  That is not bipartisanship that is compromise and “finding common ground”.  True bipartisanship only occurs when two or more parties or ideologies hold the same position on an issue.

Let’s not be naïve and believe that we can return to some sort of bipartisan “golden age”, anymore than the Era of Good Feelings ever returned after 1823 (as a matter of fact the 1824 Presidential election that followed that Era was one of the most contentious and divisive in the nations history.) .  A better answer may lie from social scientists who have techniques for dealing with this issue — cooperation.  Yes it’s learning cooperation and respect for others positions that will save the republic, not bi-partisanship, because that has rarely worked in our history. this concept of getting along with colleagues of opposite parties needs to be addressed, if anything is going to get accomplished in Washington

A two-party system by its very nature is partisan.  The party in power seeks to retain and the party out of power seeks to obtain.  We need not to bemoan partisanship but to embrace it and encourage it.  Let the parties when they are in power adopt their programs as FDR did and Gingrich tried. Let the voters then judge the party in power by what it accomplished.  History shows us that more voters participate in elections that are ideologically partisan and that voters understand a political system with two conflicting parties not one that has a dominant party and a “me-too we can do it better” quiescent minority. 

One can safely say that bipartisanship just doesn’t happen -- plain and simple -- end of story!

1/5/2011