Politics is a heavily controversial topic. This is being reflected in Congress as they have had two government shutdowns in a 6 month span; however, people rarely stop to think about some of the more finite details when it comes to government actions. When the government shuts down, many people are temporarily laid-off or working without pay. This can affect people at the federal level all the way down to local politics. Families everywhere become affected by the shutdowns. 

Senior, Willow Danis, is one many people who has been affected by these government shutdowns. 

“My dad, who works for the government, was not getting paid for the two months of the shutdown. He makes the majority of the income for our family, so during those months we were forced to think about different ways to keep our household afloat,” Danis said. 

These government shutdowns have a big economic impact on families of those involved in public sectors. For the 2025 government shutdown, according to Congress, it reduced total supply and demand. The government was not able to engage in usual private-sector spending that they would normally participate in which limited the revenue of money throughout the economy. According to Congress, the shutdown lost an estimated $11 billion in revenue. This also meant cutting government employees paychecks. So, for families like the Danis’ they were forced to rely on half their income for around a month. For families less well off or in the poverty zone, losing a main source of income for a month is a genuine concern. 

“Thankfully the shutdown ended before it could severely affect my family, and my father received back pay for his time not being paid,” Danis said. 

The 2025 government shutdown lasted around a month, the 2026 government shutdown is a partial one, and has lasted for 60 days thus far. This is recorded to be the longest partial government in history. Now, it is important to know why government shutdown’s happen to get a better understanding of them and their purpose. 

“A government shutdown occurs when the two sides, Republican and Democrat, refuse to compromise on a spending bill, thus creating gridlock.  In this case [the 2026 shutdown], the shutdown is in relation to funding for TSA and Homeland security,” social studies teacher, Mr. Socha, said. 

This means that the shutdown is directly affecting only the Department of Homeland Security (DOHS) funding. Compared to the 2025 shutdown where every single government department was shut down. The difference is significant because it changes how it affects the overall status of the country. The partial shutdown that is happening right now is mainly affecting things like airport wait times and other government agencies relating to the DOHS. The 2025 shutdown affected every single department meaning approximately 22 million people were without pay for 43 days at the end of last year. 

“The shutdown does affect teachers and the rest of society because this can cause shutdowns to federal parks, increase wait times at airports, and close down federally funded museums,” Mr. Socha said. 

The increase in government shutdowns is happening due to the rising political polarization happening in the country. People are becoming more divided than ever and that mentality is leaking into the political atmosphere. The inability to see things neutrally and to art of compromise is being lost to corruption and ignorance. The shutdown’s causes also raise awareness to other current events happening within America. For example, the shutdown right now is within the DOHS after controversies over I.C.E – an agency within the DOHS – increase. The lack of bipartisan agreement keeps affecting families due to the shutdowns.

“Once it became the longest shutdown in history we began to get nervous. We questioned how long it would last, and brainstormed ways we would pay for necessities if it continued. Fortunately, we did not have to cut back on anything during the time of the shutdown. Because it was only two months we had enough savings to keep us steady for the time being,” Danis said.  

Connecting back to how Congress estimated the 2025 shutdown lost the government an estimated $11 billion in revenue, the impact of these shutdowns is significant because the country is losing money due to lack of agreement between the parties. Political polarization is ruining the economy as well as the relationship between ordinary people. Individuals ignore and dismiss people who do not agree with them. So, not only can Congress not agree, civilians also defend their beliefs in extreme ways looking down on people who do not share the same beliefs as them.  

 Now, it takes a lot for a government shutdown to end. 

“Shutdowns can be mitigated by compromise among the parties in the House and Senate.  The problem is that the two sides refuse to go against their party’s leadership because of the threat of being primaried.  This has led to an inability to get anything done even with a majority in the House, Senate, and the Presidency,” Mr. Socha said. 

For the 2025 shutdown, it ended when President Trump signed a bipartisan, temporary funding agreement that passed in Congress. Currently, the Senate is trying to find a compromise for the current government shutdown, but they are still lacking a solution.

In short, government shutdowns help to form solid and well-thought out compromises. They have their negatives directly affecting all government processes and reflecting the current political state of America, but it is important for the government to attempt to provide the best solutions for their constituents. The 2025 and 2026 shutdowns are two of the longest recorded government shutdowns in American history. 

Sources:

https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48832