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Why has bipartisan cooperation sometimes occurred in the U.S. Congress?

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A large crowd of Rwandan Patriotic Front supporters holds up red, white, and blue FPR flags and campaign posters at a political rally in Kayonza, Eastern Province. — political party Rwandan Patriotic Front political rally in Kayonza, Rwanda, August 2010.

Bipartisan cooperation in the U.S. Congress occurs primarily because the American political system features "flexible" parties rather than rigid, highly disciplined ones.1

In the United States, the executive branch (the president) serves a fixed term regardless of whether they maintain a legislative majority. Because the government's survival does not depend on a constant, unified party vote, U.S. political parties function as broad coalitions of diverse interests rather than strictly disciplined ideological blocs. Consequently, individual members of Congress retain significant personal freedom in their voting patterns and participation in debates.1

This lack of strict party discipline means that votes on major issues frequently split along lines other than strict party affiliation, allowing for cooperation, agreement, and compromise between members of the two major parties. This environment contrasts with parliamentary systems like that of the United Kingdom, where party unity is essential for the government to remain in power, often necessitating more rigid adherence to a party line.21