Government shutdown risks in US political polarization

Cartoon by Ma Hongliang

The federal fiscal year 2023 for the US government ended on Sept. 30. Before that, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party had been caught in endless disputes over the federal budget for the new fiscal year. Failure to reach an agreement on the new fiscal budget could easily lead to a federal government shutdown again due to the lack of government funding.

Congress approved a stopgap funding bill on the night of Sept. 30, averting a government shutdown. However, the bill did not include drastic federal funding cuts and tighter border controls previously demanded by House Republicans, as well as money for Ukraine proposed by House Democrats. This means that the tug-of-war between the two parties continues.

The escalating chaos in the US shows that political polarization sparked by partisan disputes has become increasingly visible. And fractures within the Republican Party have aggravated political polarization.

As the US is often on the verge of a federal government shutdown, it remains unclear when political polarization will end.