Summary
The article discusses why government shutdowns occur in the United States, where different branches of government may be controlled by different political parties. This scenario makes shutdowns more likely when parties use them as bargaining tools during budget disagreements. The concept of government shutdowns is uncommon in other countries due to differences in their government systems.
Key Facts
- The US government has experienced 11 shutdowns since 1980.
- Government shutdowns in the US result from a strict interpretation of the Anti-Deficiency Act, which prohibits spending without an approved budget.
- Other countries, like those with parliamentary systems, avoid shutdowns because the executive and legislature are usually controlled by the same party, preventing budget deadlocks.
- The longest US government shutdown lasted 35 days, from December 2018 to January 2019.
- During shutdowns, essential services like social security payments continue, but hundreds of thousands of federal workers go unpaid.
- Shutdowns impact economic growth, as shown during the 2018-2019 shutdown when GDP growth reduced.
- In Canada and other countries, budget disagreements typically trigger new elections rather than government shutdowns.
