Government shutdown
Encyclopedia
In U.S. politics, a government shutdown is a situation in which the government stops providing all but "essential" services. Typically, services that continue despite a shutdown include police
, fire fighting
, postal service, armed forces
, utilities, air traffic management
, and corrections
.
(including the legislative power of veto
by the executive) cannot agree on a budget
financing its government programs for a pending fiscal year. In the absence of appropriated funds, the government discontinues providing non-essential services at the beginning of the affected fiscal year. Government employees who provide essential services, often referred to as "essential employees," are required to continue working.
Specifically, in the case of the United States federal government, the Antideficiency Act
, together with legal opinions, particularly one written by Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti
in 1981, define what is and is not allowed in the absence of an appropriation.
The exact details of which government functions would stop during a shutdown is determined by the Office of Management and Budget. However, some specific aspects have applied to all shutdowns in the past. Among these is the closure of national parks and passport offices. "Emergency personnel" continue to be employed, including the military, border agents, doctors and nurses working in federal hospitals, and air traffic controllers. Members of Congress continue to be paid, because their pay cannot be altered except by direct law. Mail delivery is not affected as it is self-funded.
Shutdowns in the past have also affected the Washington, D.C. municipal government, putting a stop to utilities such as garbage collection, this can include schools, though shutdowns evidently occur during the weekend.
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
, fire fighting
Fire fighting
Firefighting is the act of extinguishing fires. A firefighter fights fires to prevent loss of life, and/or destruction of property and the environment...
, postal service, armed forces
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...
, utilities, air traffic management
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
, and corrections
Corrections
In criminal justice, particularly in North America, correction, corrections, and correctional, are umbrella terms describing a variety of functions typically carried out by government agencies and involving the punishment, treatment, and supervision of persons who have been convicted of crimes....
.
Causes
A shutdown can happen when a legislative bodyLegislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
(including the legislative power of veto
Veto
A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action, especially enactment of a piece of legislation...
by the executive) cannot agree on a budget
Budget
A budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...
financing its government programs for a pending fiscal year. In the absence of appropriated funds, the government discontinues providing non-essential services at the beginning of the affected fiscal year. Government employees who provide essential services, often referred to as "essential employees," are required to continue working.
Specifically, in the case of the United States federal government, the Antideficiency Act
Anti-Deficiency Act
The Anti-Deficiency Act , , is legislation enacted by the United States Congress to prevent the incurring of obligations or the making of expenditures in excess of amounts available in appropriations or funds. It is now codified at...
, together with legal opinions, particularly one written by Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti
Benjamin Civiletti
Benjamin Richard Civiletti served as the United States Attorney General during the last year and a half of the Carter administration, from 1979 to 1981. He is now a senior partner in the Washington, D.C., law firm of Venable LLP, specializing in commercial litigation and internal investigations,...
in 1981, define what is and is not allowed in the absence of an appropriation.
Effects
A federal government shutdown causes a large number of civilian federal employees to be furloughed. Military personnel are not furloughed, but may not be paid as scheduled.The exact details of which government functions would stop during a shutdown is determined by the Office of Management and Budget. However, some specific aspects have applied to all shutdowns in the past. Among these is the closure of national parks and passport offices. "Emergency personnel" continue to be employed, including the military, border agents, doctors and nurses working in federal hospitals, and air traffic controllers. Members of Congress continue to be paid, because their pay cannot be altered except by direct law. Mail delivery is not affected as it is self-funded.
Shutdowns in the past have also affected the Washington, D.C. municipal government, putting a stop to utilities such as garbage collection, this can include schools, though shutdowns evidently occur during the weekend.
Examples
- United States federal government shutdown of 1995 and 1996
- 2005 Erie County, New York government shutdown
- 2005 Minnesota state government shutdown, during the first two weeks of July 2005
- 2006 Puerto Rico budget crisis2006 Puerto Rico budget crisisThe 2006 Puerto Rico budget crisis was a political, economic, and social crisis that saw much of the government of Puerto Rico shut down after it ran out of funds near the end of the 2005-2006 fiscal year. The shut down lasted for two weeks from May 1, 2006 through May 14, 2006, leaving nearly...
- 2006 New Jersey state government shutdown2006 New Jersey State Government shutdownThe 2006 New Jersey state government shutdown was the first shutdown in the history of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The shutdown occurred after the New Jersey Legislature and Governor Jon Corzine failed to agree on a state budget by the constitutional deadline. Furthermore, Corzine and the...
- 2007 Pennsylvania state government shutdown
- 2011 Minnesota state government shutdown2011 Minnesota state government shutdownThe 2011 Minnesota state government shutdown was a government shutdown affecting the U.S. state of Minnesota, due to a fiscal dispute between the Governor and the state legislature. The shutdown started at midnight, July 1, 2011...
See also
- Budget deficit
- Fiscal policyFiscal policyIn economics and political science, fiscal policy is the use of government expenditure and revenue collection to influence the economy....
- Generational accountingGenerational accountingGenerational accounting is a relatively new method of national accounting for measuring redistribution of lifetime tax burdens across generations from social insurance, including social security and social health insurance...
- Government spendingGovernment spendingGovernment spending includes all government consumption, investment but excludes transfer payments made by a state. Government acquisition of goods and services for current use to directly satisfy individual or collective needs of the members of the community is classed as government final...
- Government debtGovernment debtGovernment debt is money owed by a central government. In the US, "government debt" may also refer to the debt of a municipal or local government...
- Government budgetGovernment budgetA government budget is a legal document that is often passed by the legislature, and approved by the chief executive-or president. For example, only certain types of revenue may be imposed and collected...
- TaxTaxTo tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
- Lockout (industry)Lockout (industry)A lockout is a work stoppage in which an employer prevents employees from working. This is different from a strike, in which employees refuse to work.- Causes :...
US
- Fiscal policy in the United StatesFiscal Policy in the United StatesFiscal policy is considered any changes the government makes to the national budget in order to influence a nation’s economy. The approach to economic policy in the United States was rather laissez-faire until the Great Depression...
- National debt by U.S. presidential termsNational debt by U.S. presidential termsIn the United States, national debt is money borrowed by the federal government of the United States. Debt burden is usually measured as a ratio of public debt to gross domestic product; the U.S. debt/GDP ratio reached a maximum during World War II near the beginning of President Harry Truman's...
- Deficit hawkDeficit hawkDeficit hawk is an American political slang term for people who place great emphasis on keeping the federal budget under control. Deficit hawks believe the best way to reduce the deficit, pay off national debt, and balance the budget is by a combination of increasing taxes and cutting government...
- Starve-the-beast
- United States federal budgetUnited States federal budgetThe Budget of the United States Government is the President's proposal to the U.S. Congress which recommends funding levels for the next fiscal year, beginning October 1. Congressional decisions are governed by rules and legislation regarding the federal budget process...
- United States public debtUnited States public debtThe United States public debt is the money borrowed by the federal government of the United States at any one time through the issue of securities by the Treasury and other federal government agencies...
External links
- House Committee on Rules: Government Report on Government Shutdowns
- Congressional Research Service: Shutdown of the Federal Government: Causes, Processes, and Effects