What Is a USA Government Shutdown? Causes, Impact, and Everything You Need to Know
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Learn what a USA government shutdown means, why it happens, and how it impacts daily life, services, and the economy.
Since yesterday, a news has become the center of discussion, and that news is the USA Government Shutdown. President Trump has blamed the Democratic Party of America for this Shutdown. So, the question arises, what does a government shutdown mean? What happens during this time? Let’s understand it.
What is a USA Government Shutdown?
A government shutdown in the USA means that certain services of the Federal Government are temporarily halted. This happens when the Congress (either the Senate or the House of Representatives) fails to pass the budget or a funding bill on time.
Why does this issue or the USA government shutdown happen?
Every year, the Federal Government of the USA prepares a budget. If, for any reason, the two major parties, the Democrats and the Republicans cannot agree on the budget or a particular spending bill, then the government does not have funds to continue running certain departments or programs. As a result, a government shutdown occurs.
What happens during a shutdown?
1. Certain non-essential government services such as public buildings, museums, and national parks are closed during this time. Even research projects may be halted.
2. Government employees are divided into two categories:
a) Essential workers (like TSA, FBI, Military):- These employees continue to work, but their salaries or payments are delayed.
b) Non-essential workers:– These employees are placed on temporary leave (without pay) until the shutdown ends.
3) During this time, services like visa processing, tax refunds, permits, etc. are delayed.
How long can a shutdown last?
That depends on how quickly the U.S. Congress approves the budget. A shutdown can last from a few days to several weeks or even months. For example, the longest shutdown occurred in 2018-2019, which lasted for 35 days, i.e., more than a month.
Impact on the general public:-
i) Financial uncertainty increases.
ii) Economic losses occur (from millions to billions of dollars).
iii) Another major impact is that people’s trust in the government declines.
So, for the Trump administration, this definitely becomes a matter of concern. Let’s see in the coming days how the Trump administration handles this issue and whether it succeeds in regaining the trust of the public.
Thank You.
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