Each year, Congress must pass a budget or a continuing resolution, which is a temporary budget, for the new fiscal year by October 1. If Congress fails to meet this deadline, or if they do not pass a long-term budget by the time a continuing resolution expires, the government shuts down, because the funding for its operations ends until Congress passes a budget. When the government shuts down, government employees who are deemed “unessential” are out of work until the government is working again, while “essential” employees, like active military members, still work, but without pay. Occasionally, groups of congressional members will force a government shutdown in order to get their legislation passed or to make sure another one doesn’t get passed. Using government shutdown in this way is extremely controversial, and there is certainly more evidence that it is not an effective political strategy than there is support for the tactic.
Since the first government shutdown in 1976, there have been 18 government shutdowns. The longest occurred in 1995 and spanned 21 days, and there were several …show more content…
Shutdowns at the federal level harm the economy, cause disasters with jobs, and hurt whatever political party forced the shutdown. It is too extreme of a solution to getting policy passed and an unworkable strategy, as very few policies are worth all the trouble that a government shutdown causes. Along with causing millions of dollars in loss to the federal government, shutdowns hurt businesses who rely on the government as either clients or for funding. Employees who are put on leave during a shutdown restrict their spending, which further injures businesses, and shutdowns lead to uncertainty among those at the top of the economy, like business leaders, financiers, and