What does a government shutdown mean and when was the last?

Shutdowns are nothing new in US politics, but since the 1990s they have become more frequent and more damaging. Once again the Democrats need a resolution to the stand-off, lest the lack of a new spending package means government workers will be furloughed and new spending ceases.

This is all down to a quirk in the way the US is governed that no other country has to deal with.

When was the last government shutdown in the US?

There have been a total of ten government shutdowns in US history, ranging from just four hours to 35 days. The first was in 1980, when the Federal Trade Commission had to be shut down for a day after Congress failed to pass a bill for the agency.

The most costly in history was the shutdown over the holidays of 2018 to 2019 which lasted for 35 days, costing an estimated $11 billion.

This due to President Trump wanting to grant extra funding for his border wall, but the Senate was determined to stop it happening.

Why do they exist?

Shutdowns happen because Congress is the only body responsible for the allocation of government funding. This means if Congress cannot pass a budget, the president does not have the power to unilaterally decide on funding.

There is a backdoor solution, called the continuing resolution, which can temporarily fund the government.

Do other countries experience shutdowns?

Short answer, no.

Longer answer, the American political system means the president can be in power without having his/her party controlling Senate or the House. This makes passing legislation, including budgets, much more difficult.

In other presidential systems around the world, the president has the authority to keep governments functioning without a budget. In parliamentary systems, prime ministers normally resign if they no longer control the majority in parliament, leading to more elections.