The History of U.S. Government Shutdowns and the Presidents Who Faced Them©️

By Felina Silver — October 2025

Government shutdowns are a uniquely American political standoff. They occur when Congress and the president fail to agree on federal funding, forcing many government operations to halt. While temporary funding gaps existed before, the modern concept of the “shutdown” began in 1980, after Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti interpreted the Antideficiency Act to require that agencies stop work (except for essential services) without an approved budget.^1

Gerald Ford (1976): The first official shutdown occurred in 1976, lasting 10 days, after Ford vetoed a spending bill over defense funding.^2

Jimmy Carter (1977): Carter oversaw three shutdowns in one year, triggered by disputes over abortion funding and defense spending.^3

Ronald Reagan (1981–1986): Reagan presided over several short shutdowns, usually one to three days, reflecting clashes over domestic versus defense spending, social programs, and foreign aid.^4

George H.W. Bush (1990): A three-day shutdown arose from contentious budget deficit negotiations.^5

Bill Clinton (1995–1996): Clinton faced two major shutdowns. The first lasted 5 days, the second 21 days—the longest in U.S. history at that point—resulting from battles with Speaker Newt Gingrich and congressional Republicans over Medicare, education, and budget balancing.^6

Barack Obama (2013): The federal government shut down for 16 days when House Republicans attempted to delay or defund the Affordable Care Act.^7

Donald Trump (2018–2019): Trump oversaw the longest shutdown in U.S. history, 35 days, caused by border wall funding disputes. Two shorter shutdowns also took place earlier in 2018.^8

The bigger picture

Shutdowns are more than budgetary fights. They illustrate the deep challenges of divided government, partisan polarization, and ongoing struggles between the legislative and executive branches. While disruptive for citizens and federal employees, shutdowns also highlight the structural divides at the core of American governance.^9

I hope both the Congress and our president can collaborate to expedite this effort. This will allow individuals to resume work and alleviate the financial burdens they and their families face. Unfortunately, shutdowns disrupt the entire country’s functioning and cause communities to fight against each other due to the lack of essential services. We must not let this continue.

I’m curious to know your thoughts on the history of shutdowns and your suggestions for rectifying the current situation.

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📚 Notes

1. Charles S. Clark, “That Time a Lawyer Invented the Government Shutdown,” GovExec, September 10, 2022, https://www.govexec.com.
2. History.com Editors, “How Many Times Has the U.S. Government Shut Down?” History.com, January 25, 2019, https://www.history.com.
3. U.S. House of Representatives, “Funding Gaps and Shutdowns in the Federal Government,” House.gov, accessed September 2023.
4. Peter G. Peterson Foundation, “A Brief History of U.S. Government Shutdowns,” September 22, 2023, https://www.pgpf.org.
5. History.com Editors, “How Many Times Has the U.S. Government Shut Down?”
6. Wikipedia, “1995–1996 United States Federal Government Shutdowns,” last modified September 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995–1996_United_States_federal_government_shutdowns.
7. History.com Editors, “How Many Times Has the U.S. Government Shut Down?”
8. Wikipedia, “2018–2019 United States Federal Government Shutdown,” last modified September 2023, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995%E2%80%931996_United_States_federal_government_shutdowns?.com
9. Nicole Ogrysko, “Government Shutdowns: Once ‘Incomprehensible’ to Lawmakers, Now Part of the Budgeting Landscape,” Federal News Network, January 2019; Olivia B. Waxman, “Government Shutdowns Were Never Necessary Anyway,” Time, September 29, 2023.