Some Government Shutdown Context
a B|E brief
Since we’re now in the midst of a federal government shutdown, with one political party pointing blame at the other, it’s important to establish some context. That all unfolds in terms of the history and the polling.
Who’s In Charge When A Shutdown Happens?
Presidents
The record for most government shutdowns goes to President Ronald Reagan. The president with the most total days goes to President Jimmy Carter. …
However, the president with the longest one-time government shutdown goes to President Donald Trump for 34 days, breaking the record of the infamous 1995-1996 shutdown. As Business Insider reported during the last shutdown in 2019 …
This is the 21st time since the modern budget process began with the Budget Act of 1974 that the federal government has entered a shutdown or had a funding lapse. On average, the 20 previous shutdowns lasted eight days, though they have been longer in recent decades. The six shutdowns since 1990 have lasted nine days on average. And removing the short, nine-hour funding lapse caused by Sen. Rand Paul in February, recent shutdowns have averaged 11 days. Most of these shutdowns weren’t severe, with 11 of the 20 lasting five days or fewer, and seven lasting three days or fewer. By making it past the 25th day on January 15, Trump also surpassed Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton for second-most days with a funding lapse during one presidency. Trump has 35 for the current shutdown, three for the January 2018 shutdown, and — despite the short nature — one for a February 2018 lapse, bringing the total to 39 days during which the government did not have funding. Reagan and Clinton were tied for second with 28.
The party with the most government shutdowns represented by the president: Republicans.
Congress
Since government shutdowns became a regular thing, we should not that Democrats have been in charge of Congress since the first shutdown in 1976 during President Gerald Ford’s (a Republican) administration. Democrats have had control of both chambers of Congress (House and Senate) when shutdowns have occurred eight times. Republicans were in control of both chambers four times. The chambers have been split along party lines on eight different occasions.
Who Gets Blamed?
We know that the public does not like government shutdowns. Who would, right? Let’s take a look at who’s getting blamed.
According to the most recent NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, most Americans are blaming Republicans for this latest shutdown episode …
Same assessment from this Morning Consult poll the day before …
Blaming each other is a familiar thing …
But, during the 2018 government shutdown, Democrats and Republicans shared blamed, according to YouGov/Economist polling …
A Quinnipiac poll found the same conclusion …
Keep in mind, the president’s party almost always loses a lot during a midterm election, mostly in the House and less so in the Senate. It’s almost because President Franklin Roosevelt defied that trend in the 1934 midterms. If history serves as a guide, then this particular shutdown will more than likely meet the usual trend ….
But always remember that NPR/PBS/Marist poll back in 2023 when a shutdown almost happened …
