Bipartisanship

• The Constitution does not mention political parties anywhere within it, but the separation of powers means that there is an imperative for different groups to work together in order to pass laws
• Other constitutional requirements such as the need for supermajorities to pass amendments or overturn a presidential veto also requires a compromise between different parties
• Historical examples of bipartisanship

  In the 1960s worked together under Lyndon B Johnson (Democrat) and in the 1980s under President Ronald Reagan (Republican)
• There was little bipartisanship under Obama but in 2010 ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ was repealed by a bill that was sponsored by a group of Republicans and Democrats
• When there is divided government (different parties controlling the chambers of Congress and Presidency) the need for bipartisanship has caused many problems
• As political parties have become more polarised in recent years, it has become more difficult to reach compromise agreement meaning much less legislation is passed and occasionally the government has had to temporarily shut down
• One of the Founding Fathers, John Adams, feared that a ‘political evil’ would happen if the US government became divided between different factions