🔗 Share this article

Government closures are a repeat feature of US politics – but this one feels particularly intractable due to shifting political forces along with bad blood between the two parties.

Some government services face a temporary halt, with approximately 750,000 people are expected to be put on unpaid leave as both political parties can't agree on a spending bill.

Votes aimed at ending the deadlock have repeatedly failed, with little visibility on a clear resolution path in this instance as both parties – including the nation's leader – perceive advantages in digging in.

Here are the four ways in which this shutdown distinct currently.

1. For Democrats, the focus is on Trump – beyond healthcare issues

The Democratic base have insisted over recent periods for their representatives adopt stronger opposition against the current presidency. Well now the party leadership have an opportunity to demonstrate their responsiveness.

Earlier this year, Senate leader faced strong criticism for helping pass GOP budget legislation and averting a government closure early this year. This time he's digging in.

This is a chance for Democrats to show their ability to reclaim some control from a presidency that has moved aggressively on its agenda.

Opposing the GOP budget proposal carries electoral dangers that the wider public may become impatient with prolonged negotiations and consequences begin to mount.

Democratic representatives are using the shutdown fight to put a spotlight on expiring health insurance subsidies and Republican-approved federal health program reductions for the poor, both facing public opposition.

Additionally, they're attempting to restrict executive utilization of presidential authority to cancel or delay funding approved by Congress, a practice demonstrated in international assistance and various federal programs.

2. For Republicans, they see potential

The President and one of his key officials have made little secret their perspective that they smell a chance to make more of the cutbacks to the federal workforce that have featured the current presidential term to date.

The President himself said last week that the government closure had afforded him an "unprecedented opportunity", adding he intended to reduce funding for "opposition-supported departments".

The White House stated they would face the "unenviable task" involving significant workforce reductions to maintain critical federal operations if the shutdown continued. An administration spokesperson said this was just "fiscal sanity".

The extent of possible job cuts remains unclear, but the White House has been in discussions with federal budget authorities, or OMB, under the leadership of the administration's budget director.

The budget director has already announced the halting of government financial support for Democratic-run parts the opposition party, such as NYC and Chicago.

Third, Trust Is Lacking between both parties

Whereas past government closures typically involved late-night talks between the two parties aimed at restoring federal operations, currently there seems minimal cooperative willingness for compromise presently.

Instead, there is rancour. Political tensions persisted recently, as both sides blaming each other regarding the deadlock's origin.

The legislative leader a Republican, accused Democrats of not being serious about negotiating, and holding out during discussions "for electoral protection".

Meanwhile, the Senate leader made similar charges at the other side, stating how a Republican promise to discuss healthcare subsidies after operations resume cannot be trusted.

The President himself has escalated tensions by posting a controversial AI-generated image of the Senate leader and the top Democrat opposition figure, in which the legislator appears wearing traditional headwear and a moustache.

The representative and other Democrats denounced this as discriminatory, a characterization rejected by the Vice-President.

4. The US economy is fragile

Experts project approximately two-fifths of government employees – over 800,000 workers – to face furlough due to the government closure.

That will depress spending – and also have wider ramifications, including halted environmental approvals, patent approvals, interrupted vendor payments along with various forms of federal operations connected to commercial interests cease functioning.

A shutdown also injects fresh instability within economic systems already being roiled by changes ranging from tariffs, earlier cuts to government spending, immigration raids and technological advancements.

Analysts estimate potential reduction of as much as 0.2 percentage points from national economic expansion weekly during the closure.

But the economy typically recoups most of that lost activity following resolution, as it would after disruption caused by a natural disaster.

This might explain partially why financial markets has appeared largely unfazed by the current stand-off.

On the other hand, experts indicate that if administration officials implement proposed significant workforce reductions, the damage could be extended in duration.