What’s the deal with a government shutdown anyway?

Ben Geier
Ben Geier
Aug 23, 2017 · 2 min read

President Trump threatened to shut down the federal government if that’s what it took to goad Congress into building a wall along the country’s southern border with Mexico.

So, what exactly is a government shutdown and how would it work? Let’s look at the tape.

What is a government shutdown?

It’s exactly what it sounds like. The entire bureaucracy of the federal government stops operating save for a few essential agencies, including the post office and the military. Affected employees don’t get paid — and they can’t come to work. National parks close. You’ll have to wait to get a federal loan to buy a house. You won’t be able to get a gun permit or a passport.

Has it happened before?

Yes. There were two government shutdowns during the Clinton administration, the longer of which lasted 22 days. The government shut down again in 2013. The government shut down again in 2013 for 16 days.

Why does the government shut down?

Congress is mandated in the U.S. Constitution to pass a federal budget, which must be and signed by the President. If the two sides can’t come to an agreement on a budget, money does not get appropriated to the relevant agencies and they are forced to stop operations.

Why is Trump threatening this?

Building a border wall was one of his biggest campaign promises. Congressional Democrats have said they would not support any budget that included funding for a wall., so this could put some pressure on them. That could lead to a standoff heading into the Sept. 30 deadline for a new budget deal approaches.

Sounds bad.

Sure, but past government shutdowns haven’t made a lasting impact on the economy. But Congress must also raise the debt ceiling by October. Failure to do so could be catastrophic. Without a deal to raise the debt ceiling, the U.S. couldn’t borrow the money needed to pay its debts. The country could purposefully default on its debt for the first time in its history, which could send lending rates soaring and the economy into turmoil.

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Ben Geier

Ben Geier

Journalist, sometimes academic. @CNNMoney. Poli Sci MA student @gc_cuny. @medillschool alum. Married to my wife. Punk/metal dude. Tweets mine.

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