Government shutdown

This article is about curtailment of government services. For failure to form a government in a parliamentary system, see Government formation.

A government shutdown occurs when the legislative branch does not pass key bills which fund or authorize the operations of the executive branch, resulting in the cessation of some or all operations of a government. Government shutdowns can reduce public trust in politics.

In presidential systems, the executive branch typically has the authority to keep the government functioning, usually on a reduced level, even without an approved budget. In the United States, the federal government has since 1980 shut down more than 10 times because Congress failed to pass appropriations bills before the previous ones expired. The most recent shutdown began on January 31, 2026 and ended on February 3.

The type of shutdowns experienced by the United States are nearly impossible in other forms of government. Under the parliamentary systems used in most European nations, stalemates within the government are less likely, but the executive must maintain the approval of the legislature to remain in power (confidence and supply), and typically an election is triggered if a budget fails to pass (loss of supply).

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