How the Government Actually Shuts Down

Government shutdowns are somewhat confusing to many people, which is very understandable. What goes on in D.C. is very difficult to understand to outsiders with no experience or knowledge about politics, but to understand this research essay, you must understand how government shutdowns occur. In our government, we spend money. To approve the spending of our money and put money in our budget, Congress must appropriate funds by the deadline of September 30th. When Congress can’t get the appropriations through, they resort to continuing resolutions. These continuing resolutions extend the amount of time needed to agree on a appropriation for the budget, but it is temporary and only lasts so long. Continuing resolutions typically contain added requirements in them so that either the Democrats or Republicans can gain the upper hand. For instance, during the shutdown of 2018, Democrats wanted the continuing resolution to protect DACA “dreamers” as well as extend the time needed to agree on a budget, while Republicans wanted to go ahead and appropriate funds, which would avoid the debate and arguments over a continuing resolution. If Congress cannot appropriate funds and these continuing resolutions do not pass, our government shuts down until Congress either appropriates funds or agrees on a continuing resolution. Simply put, that is how governments shut down.