US government shutdown masks a bid for raw power

Trump will turn this crisis into an opportunity to hollow out the administrative state.

- Cory Alpert

The United States government entered its 20th shutdown since 1976 on Oct 1, after Congress failed to agree on funding for the fiscal year.

Such shutdowns were once rare and short a good many in the 1980s lasted just a day or two.

By contrast, the last shutdown under US President Donald Trump in 2018 stretched over 30 days, the longest in US history.

Nearly a million federal workers went without pay for more than a month, costing the government US$5 billion (S$6.4 billion) directly and far more in the economic fallout.

A MOVE TO HOLLOW OUT GOVERNMENT

Shutdowns used to hinge on specific disputes. In 2018, the battle was over Mr Trump's demand for billions for a border wall, a fight that most Americans blamed him for.

But this shutdown is different. There is no concrete policy proposal being haggled over, no specific ideological issue at stake. Instead, it reflects a broader political strategy: using shutdowns themselves as a tool to hollow out the federal government.

For most of his time in office, Mr Trump has embraced rescission clawing back or refusing to spend money that Congress already approved. Democrats now believe that any deal they strike will simply be undone, meaning compromise will not come quickly.

The result is gridlock by design, a tactic that sets the stage for something bigger. The shutdown is not just a symptom of dysfunction of the US political system but a deliberate way to shrink the administrative state.

One hallmark of Mr Trump's approach has been firing troublesome civil servants. Prosecutors who refused to target his opponents were dismissed. Entire departments focused on climate change or extremism were dismantled.