Government shutdowns in the United States occur when Congress fails to pass appropriations bills to fund the federal government before the start of the fiscal year or the expiration of temporary funding measures. Since 1976, there have been about 20 funding gaps that led to 10 government shutdowns. Shutdowns were relatively rare before the 1980s, but have become more frequent due to increased political polarization. They can last from a few hours to over a month, with the longest shutdown lasting 35 days in 2018-2019. Shutdowns often happen around October 1, the start of the federal fiscal year, and involve furloughing many federal employees and closing non-essential government services until a budget agreement is reached.
