As the US faces its second-longest government shutdown ever—and is on track to becoming the longest—the nation is confronting a familiar crisis: political gridlock in Washington. This time, the standoff centers on healthcare funding, with Republicans pushing for deep cuts and Democrats demanding an extension of Affordable Care Act insurance subsidies. The deadlock has paused pay for hundreds of thousands of federal workers and is disrupting essential services.
These developments highlight the recurring nature of government shutdowns in American history. Since the first shutdown in 1976, there have been 21 federal shutdowns, including the longest in 2019, as political disagreements repeatedly brought the federal government to a standstill.
In this gallery, we explore past government shutdowns, what caused them, and how they affected Americans. Click on for more.