The History of Government Shutdowns in America

Our experts can explain why they happen and what’s at stake

Oct 1, 2025

2 min

Few events capture Washington gridlock more visibly than a government shutdown. While rare in the nation’s early history, shutdowns have become a recurring feature of modern politics—bringing uncertainty for federal workers, disruptions to public services, and ripple effects across the economy.

How It Started

The modern shutdown era began in the 1970s after a new law, the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, established a formal budget process. Before then, funding disputes didn’t usually halt operations. But a key shift came in 1980, when the Carter administration’s Justice Department concluded that, without approved appropriations, agencies had no legal authority to spend money. That ruling set the stage for shutdowns as we know them today.

Since then, the U.S. has endured more than 20 funding gaps, ranging from brief lapses over a weekend to the record-long 35-day shutdown of 2018–2019. Each one has highlighted the partisan battles over federal spending, immigration, healthcare, or other policy priorities.

Why They Happen

Shutdowns occur when Congress fails to pass, and the president fails to sign, appropriations bills or temporary funding measures known as continuing resolutions. In practice, they reflect deeper political standoffs: one branch of government using the threat of a shutdown to force concessions on controversial issues.

They can be triggered by disputes over budget size, specific programs, or broader ideological fights. In many cases, the standoff ends when mounting political and economic costs make compromise unavoidable.

What Gets Impacted

The effects of a shutdown are immediate and wide-ranging:

Federal Workforce: Hundreds of thousands of employees are furloughed without pay, while others deemed “essential” must work without immediate compensation.

Public Services: National parks close, permits stall, museums shutter, and routine government operations—from food inspections to scientific research—are delayed.

Economic Ripple Effects: Contractors lose revenue, local economies near federal facilities take a hit, and financial markets often react nervously. Extended shutdowns can even slow GDP growth.

Citizens’ Daily Lives: From delayed tax refunds to halted small business loans, ordinary Americans feel the squeeze when government services pause.

Why This Matters

Government shutdowns are more than political theater—they expose the fragility of the budget process and the real consequences of partisan impasse. They highlight the dependence of millions of Americans on public services and raise questions about the cost of dysfunction in the world’s largest economy. Understanding why they happen and what’s impacted helps citizens gauge not just the politics of Washington, but also how governance—or the lack of it—touches everyday life.

Connect with our experts about the history, causes, and consequences of government shutdowns in America.

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Jul 23, 2026

3 min

New Gallup–Lumina Study Data Suggests Parents Can't See What a University Degree Is Really Worth

Sixty-three percent of Americans say four-year colleges are doing a poor job of making education affordable. Twelve percent say they're doing well. That figure is getting a lot of attention along with other results in the latest Gallup and Lumina Foundation survey of 2,043 adults. Ironically, this data will surprise very few people working in the sector who are paying attention. When you look at the data, one number stands out and provides hope for institutions. Among parents who hold a college degree, 48 percent want a four-year university for their child. And among parents with some college or a high school diploma, fewer than 20 percent do. Both groups want education after high school. What separates them is whether the parent has personally experienced what a degree does to employment, earnings and job satisfaction. So the case for the four-year degree is currently being carried by "lived experience", which, by definition, does not reach families who haven't had it. These are the families four-year institutions most need to reach. Community colleges, by contrast, show what the alternative looks like when it's explained well. They're rated good or excellent by 68 percent on access, 61 percent on quality, 54 percent on affordability and 52 percent on workforce preparation. Four-year institutions lead in one category: advancing knowledge and new discoveries, 53 percent to 46. Price is where institutions have hurt themselves most directly. Net prices have fallen across income brackets and institution types over six years, yet colleges continue publishing sticker figures that most enrolled students never pay. Courtney Brown calls transparency “the missing link in rebuilding trust.” A family that can't determine the price before applying will assume the advertised number is the price. The 3 Themes Run Through this Data Evidence has to Connect with Audiences Who Have No Reference Point: Institutions often position for families who already understand how higher education works. And the survey suggests the persuadable audience is the one that doesn't. Unexplained Value Doesn't Count: A college credential that costs less, takes two years, and ends in a job explains itself. A benefit that compounds over thirty years does not, and most institutions have responded by falling back on median starting salary. Universities need to show other evidence of value. Scattered Evidence Isn't Discoverable: Aid data, outcomes, faculty expertise, and research impact each live in a different department, in different faculties, and in different systems. It’s challenging for CMO’s to unify all this information. But the market isn’t waiting for that to happen. Students and families now hand that assembly job to an AI search tool, and whatever it retrieves and attributes is functionally what the institution has said. None of this starts with a campaign. Write down the ten questions families ask most often, then check what your website, your faculty pages and an AI assistant currently return for each one. Most institutions find the evidence exists and nobody can locate it. At ExpertFile we understand we can’t fix all of these problems. Nonetheless, we’re working hard to make faculty expertise and research more findable and relatable to a variety of audiences - this includes the students and families that have important questions about the value of university. Americans have not given up on higher education. They just want clearer evidence of what it costs and what it returns, and they want it from credible voices willing to put their names to it.

Jul 9, 2026

2 min

Expert Insights on the Manhattan High-Rise Structural Concerns

The unfolding structural emergency at the former Pfizer headquarters on East 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan raises urgent questions issues such as load limits, weight redistribution, structural steel, emergency shoring and in general the challenges of converting older office towers into residential buildings. As officials and engineers continue to investigate what happened, the incident points to a larger issue facing many major cities: how safely can older commercial buildings be adapted for new uses, especially when vertical additions, new floor loads and major structural modifications are involved? ExpertFile has a range of structural engineering experts available to help journalists and audiences understand the engineering issues behind this story. Featured Experts Edward Sippel, P.E., Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Milwaukee School of Engineering Edward Sippel is an expert in structural engineering at the Milwaukee School of Engineering with a focus on steel structures, stability and structural analysis. His expertise in structural steel, finite element analysis and nonlinear analysis makes him especially relevant to questions about column buckling, steel-frame behavior, temporary reinforcement and how engineers assess whether a damaged steel structure can be stabilized or repaired. David O. Prevatt Professor, University of Florida David O. Prevatt is a structural engineer at the University of Florida whose areas of expertise include structural load paths, structural engineering and resilient building performance. His expertise is especially relevant to explaining how loads move through a building, what happens when weight is added or redistributed, and why engineers must understand the full path that gravity loads take from upper floors down to the foundation. Key Questions Experts Can Address How do added floors or major renovations change the way weight moves through an existing building? What causes a steel column to buckle, and how is that different from other types of structural failure? Why do transition points between older and newer parts of a structure require special attention? How do engineers use temporary shoring, jacks and steel reinforcement to stop movement during an emergency? What should cities, developers and regulators consider as office-to-residential conversions become more common? Additional Structural Engineering Experts Available Beyond load paths and steel mechanics, this story also raises broader questions about structural health monitoring, building inspections, retrofits, aging infrastructure, concrete systems, structural dynamics and resilient design. ExpertFile includes additional experts who can speak to these related issues, including: For journalists covering the Manhattan high-rise situation, office-to-residential conversions, emergency building stabilization or the future of urban infrastructure, these experts offer relevant structural engineering expertise that may help add context, clarity and perspective to your reporting. Looking for more experts? Visit: www.expertfile.com About ExpertFile ExpertFile is the worlds largest open-access, curated search engine for experts. ExpertFile is the best way to search and connect with credible experts on over 50,000+ topics. Our award-winning software platform is trusted by leading knowledge-based organizations to help them manage and connect their research and perspectives to a broader audience. Download the ExpertFile Mobile App.

Jul 7, 2026

4 min

Built to Last: What It Takes to Compete Across Generations of World Cups

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is giving fans an unusual view of football history: several of the game’s biggest names are still competing long after most elite careers have ended. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are appearing in their sixth World Cups. Ronaldo has scored twice in this tournament and 10 times overall, while Messi has added six goals in 2026 to reach 19 for his World Cup career. Luka Modrić is playing in his fifth tournament. Neymar and Kevin De Bruyne are each appearing in their fourth. Those numbers say something important about talent. They say even more about durability. Reaching one World Cup is difficult. Returning four, five or six times means surviving nearly two decades of club schedules, injuries, travel, tactical changes and competition from younger players. It also means finding new ways to contribute when the body no longer responds exactly as it once did. That opens up several timely questions for journalists covering this final stage of their careers. Below, experts in sports science, biomechanics, psychology and sports business offer perspective on what it takes to compete across multiple World Cups—and what allows some players to remain influential long after their physical peak. What does it take physically to last this long? The World Cup lasts only a few weeks, but the careers behind it are built over thousands of training sessions and matches. For older players, the challenge is not simply staying fit. It is managing fatigue, recovering faster and avoiding the injury that could end the run. Hofstra exercise physiologist Katie Sell can speak to the less visible work behind these careers: sleep, hydration, nutrition, endurance and the tighter recovery window athletes face as they age. At the University of Delaware, Tom Kaminski brings expertise in soccer injuries, concussions and player safety. He can help explain how accumulated wear, repeated head impacts and return-to-play decisions influence whether a player can continue at the highest level. Texas Christian University’s Peter Weyand, an expert in sprint mechanics and running performance, can discuss what happens to speed and acceleration over time—and which physical qualities can still be protected through training. How do great players change their game? Longevity rarely comes from playing the same way forever. Ronaldo moved from the wing into a more central scoring role. Messi became more selective with his movement. Modrić continued to control matches through timing, positioning and awareness rather than physical dominance. These are not signs that aging players have stopped influencing games. They are signs that influence has changed. Carnegie Mellon biomechanics researcher Eni Halilaj can speak to how athletes adjust their movement patterns, conserve energy and reduce physical strain as they get older, while her colleague Eric Yttri, who studies motor control and decision-making, can explain how anticipation and experience allow veteran players to act earlier and more efficiently. Texas Christian University’s Peter Weyand can also add context on why older players often change positions, reduce repeated sprinting or become more selective about when they make high-intensity runs. Why keep coming back? By the time a player reaches a fourth or fifth World Cup, money and recognition are unlikely to be the main reasons for continuing. The harder question is what keeps an athlete committed after years of success, injuries and public scrutiny—especially when their role may be smaller than it once was. TCU sport psychology expert Robyn Trocchio can speak to motivation, focus and how accomplished athletes continue setting meaningful goals late in their careers. Hofstra’s Genevieve Weber can address performance anxiety, media pressure and the emotional weight of entering what may be a final international tournament. Georgia Southern sport psychologist Brandonn Harris can discuss resilience, confidence and the mental discipline required to recover from injury, disappointment and changing expectations. How should an aging superstar be judged? Goals are easy to count. Leadership, timing and influence are not. A veteran player may no longer dominate every match, but may still shape how teammates prepare, how opponents defend and how supporters respond. For coaches, that creates a difficult balance between reputation, current performance and what an experienced player brings in moments of pressure. At Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, Michael Lewis can discuss the value of global stars beyond the score sheet, including fan interest, brand strength and the attention they bring to a national team. Carnegie Mellon University’s Eric Yttri can speak to the on-field contributions that statistics often miss, including positioning, anticipation and decision-making. Texas Christian University’s Robyn Trocchio can address the leadership side of the story, including the difficult transition from automatic starter to mentor, substitute or situational player. A generation nearing the end The 2026 World Cup may be remembered not only for the players who emerged, but for the ones who were leaving. Ronaldo, Messi, Modrić, Neymar and De Bruyne have played through different tactical eras and alongside multiple generations of teammates. Their longevity was not built on talent alone. It required adaptation, recovery, discipline and a willingness to accept that staying great sometimes means becoming a different kind of player. For reporters, their careers offer a timely way to examine how elite athletes age—and why some remain relevant long after the normal limits of the game suggest they should.

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