FYI: Government Shutdowns Are Fairly Common

[AmazonTania]

With all the testimony in that three ring circus that is the United States Congress about how a Government Shutdown sets a bad example to the world, how the world looks to the US for parliament strength and how a shut down was inconceivable; they forgot the mention that Shutdowns are pretty common.

The Government Has Shut Down 18 Times Since 1976

Gerald Ford presided under the first Government Shutdowns with Democrats both in control of the House and Senate, which lasted a total of ten days.

President Carter and President Reagan both had six government shutdowns under their belt each, lasting anywhere from one day to two and 1/2 weeks.

Clinton presided under two government shutdowns, the first lasting for five days and the second lasting for twenty-one days, both with Republican majority in the House and Senate.

Bottom Line

It's not uncommon for Congress to shutdown the because a single party doesn't get what it wants. As long as one particular party controls congress, and as long as congress holds the pursestrings it gets to appropriate the funds for whatever it wants. Unless you change the constitution, nothing will change that.

[BB-35]

With all the testimony in that three ring circus that is the United States Congress about how a Government Shutdown sets a bad example to the world, how the world looks to the US for parliament strength and how a shut down was inconceivable; they forgot the mention that Shutdowns are pretty common.

The Government Has Shut Down 18 Times Since 1976

Gerald Ford presided under the first Government Shutdowns with Democrats both in control of the House and Senate, which lasted a total of ten days.

President Carter and President Reagan both had six government shutdowns under their belt each, lasting anywhere from one day to two and 1/2 weeks.

Clinton presided under two government shutdowns, the first lasting for five days and the second lasting for twenty-one days, both with Republican majority in the House and Senate.

Bottom Line

It's not uncommon for Congress to shutdown the because a single party doesn't get what it wants. As long as one particular party controls congress, and as long as congress holds the pursestrings it gets to appropriate the funds for whatever it wants. Unless you change the constitution, nothing will change that.

Thing is,changing the constitution requres the agreement of congress,soooooooo...

[AmazonTania]

As long as partiers are passionate about what they want, these things will happen more and more.

[Chris]

Some details on the 18 shutdowns, with more @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_shutdown_in_the_United_States

http://i.snag.gy/dAsF4.jpg

[Adelaide]

I don't think the world looks to the US for "parliament strength"... The US doesn't have a parliament, to begin with. Parliaments operate drastically different than the US system and when they don't agree a shutdown doesn't happen. There are votes of non-confidence, prorogued parliaments, formations of coalitions, so forth. A special warrant can be issued by our Governor General, for example, (sure it's similar in Australia) to draw on a line of credit. A shutdown would not happen - an election would. Gotta love the Westminster system for that, because the US could probably use it about now.

[AmazonTania]

I'm vaguely quoting from what I remember on C-Span. I don't think America has a parliament.

[Peter1469]

Right, we don't. Not sure it would make much of a difference if we did.

[Chris]

I'm vaguely quoting from what I remember on C-Span. I don't think America has a parliament.



We barely have a Congress.

[Cigar]

Yea ... politicians all around the world, shutdown Governments fairly common for ....

"One faction of one party in one house of Congress in one branch of government doesn't get to shut down the entire government just to refight the results of an election," the president said of House Republicans. "You don't get to extract a ransom for doing your job, for doing what you're supposed to be doing anyway, or just because there's a law there that you don't like."

~ BO

BTW ... the Republicans asked and got their shutdown ... and guess what ... ObamaCares isn't.

Brilliant :rollseyes:

[Adelaide]

Right, we don't. Not sure it would make much of a difference if we did.

It very well would/could make a big difference. For the purpose of making my point, I'm going to use my country as an example since it has a Westminster style parliament, (I'm not saying it's perfect).

With a minority government, the rest of parliament can hold a non-confidence vote and trigger an election at any point which usually forces the minority to work with one or more parties, (unofficial or official coalitions). If our senate decided they didn't agree with a budget/legislation passed up from the house (for example by a majority government) and it put government into a stalemate our prime minister would be forced to go to the Governor general to dissolve parliament and trigger an election. If a government is dissolved without a budget then the Governor General issues a special warrant where everything gets paid for on a line of credit until a certain length of time after a new government is formed via election. Our elections don't take very long to hold.

With the current morons in congress, the senate and the white house, wouldn't it be nice for them to be able to lose their positions at any time should they fail to do their jobs through elections? The US Democrats and Republicans should taste the medicine our Liberals and Bloc Quebecois got in the last election.

[Peter1469]

It very well would/could make a big difference. For the purpose of making my point, I'm going to use my country as an example since it has a Westminster style parliament, (I'm not saying it's perfect).

With a minority government, the rest of parliament can hold a non-confidence vote and trigger an election at any point which usually forces the minority to work with one or more parties, (unofficial or official coalitions). If our senate decided they didn't agree with a budget/legislation passed up from the house (for example by a majority government) and it put government into a stalemate our prime minister would be forced to go to the Governor general to dissolve parliament and trigger an election. If a government is dissolved without a budget then the Governor General issues a special warrant where everything gets paid for on a line of credit until a certain length of time after a new government is formed via election. Our elections don't take very long to hold.

With the current morons in congress, the senate and the white house, wouldn't it be nice for them to be able to lose their positions at any time should they fail to do their jobs through elections? The US Democrats and Republicans should taste the medicine our Liberals and Bloc Quebecois got in the last election.

Good point!

[Chris]

Wasn't but a month ago two Colorado state Senators were recalled. We should always have that option.

[patrickt]

What happens when you have a government shut-down and except for photo ops, no body notices?