How Americans Benefit From Bi-Partisan Politics
Politics are always a steamy topic, but especially around election time. As Americans get closer to choosing who will preside over the United States for the next four years, they are also seeing the rancor between the two main parties ramping up. Social media is ablaze with memes insulting the other party’s candidate, and friend lists are getting smaller as a result. Instead of focusing on how divided the nation is, people need to be reminded of the great things that can happen when they work together. Here are five ways America benefits when the two-party system works in cohesion rather than opposite ends of a magnet.
1. Foreign Relationships
If the leadership of the United States were to change dramatically every four years, meaning the leader alternated between Republican and Democrat, and the leader acted in a way to unravel everything the previous administration had accomplished, the foreign relationships of the United States would be severely compromised. Other countries wouldn’t trust the U.S. After all, what one administration had promised would be at risk of being tossed in less than a handful of years, and it takes decades to build a relationship of trust.
It’s important that the relationships built with other countries remain consistent. It’s important that there is mutual respect and trust. Without it, quite simply, the United States would appear on the verge of collapse and would have no allies to help bail it out.
2. Disaster Relief
Even something as necessary as disaster relief is in danger of becoming entangled in political divisions. The United States could experience a disaster at any time in any state. Disasters are brought on by hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, terrorism, earthquakes, flooding, disease, extreme winter weather, and human error.
Because states are known to lean toward one party or another, also known as red and blue states, if the President of the United States wanted, he or she could deny relief to a state they perceived as being politically against him or her. For people in need of immediate assistance, this would be detrimental to their ability to recover.
Fortunately, the United States is not a dictatorship and this does not happen. Even so, it is possible.
3. Problem-Solving
When people forget to focus on which party they belong to, and instead try to focus on solutions, they actually get things done. However, getting to the point where partisan politics doesn’t play a role in problem-solving can be difficult. Perhaps this is what the organization No Labels was founded.
Founded in 2010, this group of people from various parties, including the two largest, promotes the idea of seeing beyond political divides in order to achieve results. Some of their top goals are balancing the budget, creating jobs, and saving social security. These are issues that are important to all Americans, regardless of political affiliation.
For legislation to get passed, it requires a certain degree of bipartisanship. If bipartisanship didn’t exist, the United States government would be incapable of evolving with the needs of the American people.
4. Elections
Every position held by a government employee is held by a person who leans toward one party or the other. For officials who oversee elections, it’s important that they have the ability to put their political beliefs aside for the will of the American people. While changing the course of an election would be extremely political, and history has no reports of anyone succeeding at doing so, democracy is always in danger and it’s important that political divisions aren’t allowed to threaten it.
5. Climate Change
Unfortunately, with partisan politics, some things become politicized that probably shouldn’t. In recent years, climate change has become an issue of some contention. Because big businesses line the campaign pockets of politicians, the needs and wants of big businesses can influence how politicians vote, regardless of what is best for the rest of the country.
While it might be necessary for the United States to adopt alternative sources of energy, doing so can prove difficult, as oil and gas companies fight to keep their products essential to the daily lives of their consumers. Some politicians will question whether climate change is real. When this happens, it’s important to know who is contributing to their campaign.
While people may believe they are seeing the worst of partisan politics today, in actuality, the divide has always existed. The gap widens and lessens at various points in history. While somehow the United States always manages to survive these divides, they still threaten to stall change when it is needed immediately. Examples of this include slavery, women’s voting rights, equal rights, and entering and exiting wars. As we head into the November elections, remember how great it is that today we still have election officials whose duty to their country is greater than their duty to their political party. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone could see issues the same way?
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