The U.S. federal government shut down on Oct. 1 after the Senate rejected a proposal to continue funding.
But why does this type of shutdown only happen in the United States, whereas it is virtually unheard of in the rest of the world?
Shutdown or Clear Out?
In many other countries, when an impasse like the current one in Washington is reached, rather than a shutdown, it triggers a change in government, through national elections or changes to a coalition.
Both are, essentially, methods to either release political pressure or force a compromise to allow the government to continue peacefully.
However, owing to the U.S. Constitution, calling an early election would not be available to the United States without passing an amendment fundamentally changing the way the federal government works….
Why Don’t Other Countries Shut Down Like the United States?
