Understanding the Causes of a Government Shutdown

What is a Government Shutdown?

A government shutdown can occur when the federal government runs out of money and would be unable to continue functioning without an increase in the debt spending limit. An increase in the debt cap becomes necessary when the government has greater expenditures than incoming tax revenues. The federal government also sets limits as to how much money they can borrow. This means that the government has to agree to borrow more money and add to the multitrillion dollar federal debt.

Who is to Blame for a Shutdown?

The blame for a shutdown mostly depends on who you ask.

If you are a Republican, it is the Democrats fault for refusing to compromise on a bill. If you are a Democrat, the reverse is true. For President Obama, whether increasing the debt ceiling is patriotic or not depends on if he is President or George W. Bush is. As a US Senator, Obama voted against raising the debt ceiling and added the following:

"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies... Leadership means that ‘the buck stops here.’ Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better. I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America’s debt limit."

For conservatives, the main culprit is big government spending by both Republicans and Democrats and a refusal to balance the budget.

Since a potential shutdown usually only occurs when the government runs out of money, it means the politicians and federal agencies are spending more money than they take in once again and are about to exceed the borrowing limits once again. The government rarely reduces even the increases in the rate of spending.

Many Agencies Continue Functioning During a Shutdown

CNN tried their best to show the horrors to the American public of a government shutdown. Their ten big reasons were mostly a snore: No national parks! No gun permit processing (this one reads as a "take that, conservatives!"). No passports for those last minute flights to France! But most of what they note is that life goes on. Air traffic controllers stay on. Military stays on. Mail gets delivered. Food inspectors inspect. It's actually a constitutional libertarian's ideal government.