Your Guide to a Government Shutdown

By Adam Bitely and Rebekah Rast


What happens if the government shuts down? Well, nothing really, and the consequences of a shutdown are really rather mundane.

The worst part of it all, Congress would still be working, oh, and all government museums and tourist sites will close.

For a more in-depth look at what day-to-day life would be like during a government shutdown, here are a few common questions answered:

Federal Workers

What will happen to federal workers in the event of a government shutdown?

First, not all federal employees will be affected by a shutdown. Non-essential employees will not report to work, but essential employees will. In the past, even though the non-essential workers were at home and not working during the government shutdown, they still received all of their pay retroactively. According to the Houston Chronicle, “[f]ewer than half of the 2.1 million federal workers subject to a shutdown would be forced off the job if the Obama administration followed the path taken by presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.”

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