Gridlock’s price

The second week of the US federal government shutdown reveals not just a political deadlock but a deeper governance crisis.

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What began as a standoff over healthcare subsidies has morphed into a test of political endurance, economic resilience, and the public’s tolerance for dysfunction at the heart of government.

At its core, this impasse is about healthcare. One side is determined to secure continued subsidies for low-income citizens and reverse earlier cuts to public health programmes. The other wants the government reopened first, arguing that contentious spending issues can be debated thereafter. Both positions may appear legitimate in isolation. But in practice, they have become mutually exclusive battle lines, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers unpaid and essential services under strain.