The Art of the Shutdown - The Blame Game of Partisan and Identity Politics

On Friday night, Democrats and Republicans in Washington failed to reach a consensus on the terms of a  funding bill that would have kept the Federal Government running for a few more months. This shutdown has received worldwide attention, provoking Congressional members from both sides of the isle to blame each other for the gridlock. As this debate ensued at at the Capitol Building, “non-essential” functions of the Federal Government were shut down, while any federal employees that remain at work will not be able to receive their paychecks until the government reopens. So, whether you are a tourist in DC dead-set on touring the Smithsonian or a member of our Armed Forces risking your life overseas, this shutdown may affect you personally.

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However, this is not the first time in American history that the Congress has been unable to reach a consensus on the continuing resolutions that fund our government. According to Vox.com, this has happened 19 times- beginning in 1976, under President Gerald R Ford. Although they have happened on numerous occasions throughout our history, the American media and voting public takes notice- and both become very vocal.

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Members of Congress understand that there are only two entities that can be realistically blamed for these shutdowns, either the Republican Party or the Democratic party. As a result, congressional leaders in the House and the President himself have searched for ways to frame the shutdown- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, in a conference with members of the press,  spoke next to a banner that included President Trump’s picture and the words “#Trumpshutdown”, while saying "negotiating with Trump is like negotiating with Jello." Meanwhile, President Trump referred to the situation on Twitter as the “Schumer Shutdown.” On the House floor on Saturday, the blame game continued- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi voicing her disdain for President Trump and the recently passed Republican Tax bill while Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mcconnell declared, “And what has their (shutdown) accomplished? What has it accomplished? Their very own government shutdown.”

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For all of the efforts to blame one political party for the 2018 government shutdown, it is unlikely that name calling or bantering will be of any effect, or have any serious sway over the upcoming Congressional races. Such banter has become increasingly partisan- meaning that Democratic and Republican voters will likely just blame the opposite party for the shutdown, regardless of what hashtag seems to stick well in our minds. However, there is another piece to this partisan puzzle- one that enters the dangerous realm of identity politics. Both parties have increasingly taken stances on important political issues that deal solely with identity. While the Democrats fought hard to fund the DACA program, benefitting the children of illegal immigrants, Republicans opposed under the leadership of a President who has taken a severely protectionst and even potentially racial stances on the topic of immigration. These ideological differences- whether to protect immigrants or build a wall on our Southern border- reflect the polarization of the country and the strong identities that have developed around the issues of immigration. In light of these circumstances, it is easy to understand why our elected officials were unable to reach an agreement. Whether the shutdown lasts for two weeks or four, identity and partisan politics will likely continue to pervade the decision making in our nation’s highest offices. For both sides to reach a consensus, it will be necessary for them to come to the table, and engage in a dialogue on immigration and other divisive issues. Only then can we hope to unify the country.