Government shutdowns halt nonessential services and furlough federal workers

Government shutdowns, 101

Roughly a quarter of the US federal government's spending must be approved annually through a set of 12 appropriations bills in Congress. When they aren't, a government shutdown ensues, where federal agencies are legally barred from spending any further money on nonessentials. This explainer covers the basics of government shutdowns and their impact on the broader culture.

A history of every US government shutdown

There have been 21 shutdowns of the federal government in US history, a result of Congress's failure to pass appropriations bills in time. While the cause of most of the shutdowns stems from issues around the national debt and budget, a few originated in fights over unrelated policies. Dive into the history of each one with this comprehensive list.

Government shutdowns can cost the US economy billions

The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the 2018-19 shutdown reduced economic output by about $11B, including a permanent loss of roughly $3B

Congress often uses stopgap bills to keep the government running

When lawmakers fail to pass a full budget, they rely on continuing resolutions to fund the government temporarily. This guide explains how CRs are enacted, how they function, and why they disrupt normal operations.

Federal spending falls into 2 categories: mandatory and discretionary

Federal spending is split between mandatory programs, funded automatically by law, and discretionary programs, funded through annual appropriations. This video breaks down which major programs fall into each category and why the distinction matters.

What happens if the US doesn't pay its debt?

A video created during the debt ceiling debates of 2021 outlining what would happen if the US failed to meet its debt obligations. Its lessons are applicable to today's debates.

States have stepped in to keep national parks open during shutdowns

National parks typically close during federal shutdowns, but in 2023, Arizona and Utah planned to use state funds to keep parks open—highlighting how shutdowns can disrupt tourism and local economies.

The federal government pumped $70 billion into transit amidst reduced ridership during the COVID pandemic

When ridership collapsed by 75% in the spring of 2020, Congress sent transit agencies nearly $70B to help them survive. But that money has largely run out, and ridership remains 14-28% below prepandemic levels, leaving many transit systems with large budget deficits.

The US federal government employs roughly 3 million people

Tracking began in 1939, when the federal workforce consisted of about 1 million people. The total peaked in 1990 at 3.4 million, and hit a recent low in 2014 at 2.7 million.

Many local governments also struggle to rein in their spending

The federal government isn’t the only one that holds debt. State and local governments borrow money to cover budget gaps, too.

COVID-19's shock to employment rates sparked some economists to fear deflation

COVID-19 simultaneously disrupted the supply chain and the labor market. Since the unemployment rate had hit record highs, some economists were worried that the supply chain would recover before the labor market. If that had happened, businesses would have been producing goods, but no one would have been able to buy them because they wouldn't have the disposable income to do so.

The National Housing Act established the Federal Housing Administration

During the Great Depression, 1,000 homes were foreclosed on per day, and half of the mortgages across the country defaulted. To address this crisis, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the National Housing Act. It established the Federal Housing Administration, which is still around today and helps protect lenders and buyers.

Congress can remove federal officials through impeachment

The United States House of Representatives has the sole power to impeach federal officials. The United States Senate then conducts impeachment trials and decides whether to convict and remove them from office.

Discover the catastrophic consequences of a failure of the US electrical grid—something that is more likely than many Americans think.

The United States is one of only around two dozen countries with a fully federal system of government, in which power is divided between national and state governments.

A 'designated survivor' stays away from the State of the Union to ensure continuity of government

During major events like the State of the Union, one Cabinet member is kept at a secure location. This "designated survivor" would assume the presidency if a catastrophe eliminated those higher in the line of succession.

The two-day marathon meetings of the Federal Open Market Committee follow a logical process of information sharing

In a stately room in the Eccles Building in Washington, DC, the 17 participants of the FOMC and their aides report on economic conditions and decide monetary policy.

How income taxes evolved from a funding tool for war into a crucial revenue source for the federal government

Americans have long resisted income taxes. So, how did they become permanent? This overview explains how wartime funding needs, constitutional changes, and economic shifts gave rise to the modern tax system, from the Civil War to the payroll withholding rules we follow today.

A recession is commonly defined as two straight quarters of shrinking GDP

Recessions are sustained downturns in the economy. They’re significant, widespread, and there’s no single, surefire way to define or predict them.

Calculate how much of your tax dollars go to each federal program based on your income, filing status, and number of children

In 2025, President Donald Trump signed an order shrinking the Department of Education

On March 20, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure” of the U.S. Department of Education, though complete dismantlement requires congressional approval.

Watch a freshman lawmaker navigate his first days in Congress

This video follows Denver Riggleman during his transition to Capitol Hill in 2019, capturing the disorder, pressure, and unpredictability of becoming a member of the United States House of Representatives amid shutdowns and political attacks.

Supporters of payday loans say banning them would harm low-income Americans

Many argue for a federal policy that would cap interest rates for these loans, but payday lenders say that would make it impossible for them to make money, effectively forcing them to close up shop. As a result, some argue that the policy would prevent low-income, unbanked, and traditionally high-risk borrowers from accessing credit when they need it. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

Debunk common myths about Social Security

Myths include the pervasive ideas that undocumented immigrants drain Social Security, members of Congress don't pay into Social Security, the program itself is “going broke,” and more.

No school has lost federal funding because of a Title IX violation

While the law threatens the suspension of federal funds for schools violating the requirements of the law, it has yet to happen. Instead, the Office for Civil Rights has deemed schools working to correct the issues conditionally compliant.

Learn how governments around the world restrict internet access for their citizens

Various countries around the world, including China, Russia, and Iran, control their local DNS infrastructure, allowing them to block access to online content by preventing the internet "phone book" from finding the IP addresses for specific URLs. Government-controlled internet service providers can also cut off access entirely or throttle specific traffic.

A look at how power is restored after an outage on the electric grid

From minor system failures to more widespread blackouts, crews begin by assessing damage done to infrastructure, such as transmission towers and distribution power lines. Prioritizing essential services, such as hospitals, crews then begin restoration, starting with any damage found closest to the power generation and working down the distribution system to customers.

The WTO's dispute settlement system has been effectively paralyzed

The US has blocked appointments to the WTO's appellate body since 2017, arguing that the panel has overstepped its mandate. Without a functioning appeals court, the WTO can no longer enforce rulings or settle disputes.

Despite being favored by 87% of Americans, Congress does not have term limits.

The idea for the Federal Reserve was conceived in secret in 1910—with bankers donning duck hunt gear for disguise while traveling to a remote country club on Georgia's Jekyll Island

Ebola infects and disables immune cells, triggering a cascade of events that leads to small blood clots throughout the body, weakening blood vessels and interrupting blood flow to key organs.

US consumers collectively owe more than $1T to credit card companies—almost as much as they owe in auto loans.

The United States has had a tumultuous relationship with Cuba since its 1959 revolution, highlighted by a nuclear crisis and a decades-long trade embargo.

Experimental hantavirus vaccines and therapies, still under development, have long been funded by the US military.

Hedge funds, the private investment firms that trade a wide swath of financial assets, make money by imposing steep fees on investors and from the fund's investment performance.

Gerrymandering works through two techniques: cracking opposing voters across districts to dilute their power, and packing them into a few to waste their votes in lopsided majorities.

How fusion—which releases energy when two lighter atoms combine to form a heavier atom—differs from fission

Up to a million Girl Scouts sell about 200 million cookie boxes every spring, generating $800 million, largely because refusing a child is frowned upon

Studies suggest when you sleep is as important as how much you get, and syncing with your circadian rhythms may lead to less fatigue and improved long-term health outcomes

A 2019 Facebook event called on attendees to "Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us," resulting in countless memes, the creation of a music festival, and eventually the arrests of those who did try to approach the area.

Mark Twain spent decades feuding with the US Postal Service, convinced its costs and regulations were bureaucratic overreach.

Hotels in Cannes, the glamorous city on the French Riviera, hire hawks to ward off seagulls during the city's famous film festival.

How Amazon operates a 'flywheel' business model, a self-reinforcing cycle that drives continuous growth

Volcanoes 'die' when their supply of magma runs out, if they are shifted away from their underlying magma reservoir, or if they get clogged by collapsing or their magma cooling back into rock.

Shooting stars, or meteors, are fragments of asteroids and comets that burn up as they enter Earth's atmosphere, creating streaks in the sky called meteor showers.

Doctors differentiate between a phobia and fear by asking patients whether their fear interferes with their day-to-day activities.

In 1945, Surrealist artist Salvador Dalí and legendary animator Walt Disney began collaborating on a short film that was not completed until 2003, years after both men had died.

'Shogun,' a 1980s TV series, helped popularize sushi in the US by stimulating an American interest in Japanese culture.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps is independent of Iran's regular army and is one of the most powerful and influential military-political organizations in the Middle East.

Comedy legend Catherine O'Hara, star of 'Schitt's Creek' and 'Home Alone,' quit 'Saturday Night Live' after just one week to return to her old job.