Hey, Cypher here.
With the government shutdown looming large in this weeks news, perhaps it's time to get
a little perspective on the history of the very strange American process.
I'm putting this out quickly, so sorry for the haphazard editing.
So, most of you have probably been hearing a great deal about the government shutting
down back in the 90's, but this phenomenon starts back in the 70's during Ford's and
Carter's administrations.
By the 80's it had become a frequent thing.
So what is it with this particularly American process.
In America, we may not understand this, but when other governments face budgetary issues
that stop all pay, people just keep working in those countries.
Of course, the problem with this point of view is that most democracies are parliamentary,
so their executive and legislative branches are not fully separated.
We are a liberal form of government, and in so being, the separation of powers cannot
force one-another to function.
We are keeping some essential services going (mostly), but we do not keep everything.
Parks are closed, people are out of work, and it get worse on 16th if this issue is
not resolved.
We've gotten kind of used to not having to deal with shutdowns, since the last one was
in 1996.
America's memory is piss-poor at best.
So let's understand why this problem exists in the first place.
In terms of US history this is a new thing.
The government did function without a budget on numerous occasions, but shutdowns were
not required.
Due to a law enacted in 1884 called the Anti-Deficiency Act, department heads were able to spend money
during these times.
This worked quite well, since we can't seem to pass budgets in time for their usage.
Unfortunately, this law experienced a change in the 1970's.
In 1976, President Ford vetoed a bill that was to fund the Department of Labor, and the
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, citing the bills extra pork expenditures.
Ford used this veto and the lack of any budget extending bill politically.
He closed the two departments by executive order.
The congress, in response, overrode his veto, forcing Ford to reopen the departments.
Under Carter's administration, there were 5 of these same partial shutdowns, but for
different reasons.
Interestingly enough, this happened during a super-majority of democrats.
The argument was between the house and senate over how far funding for abortion procedures
should go (ie dangerous for mother, rape, or insest).
These shutdowns became so commonplace that the Attorney General, Benjamin Civiletti wrote
a new opinion about the Anti-Deficiency Act legitimizing the practice, which had no legal
standing until then.
When Regean took the presidency, he had 8 full shutdowns.
These never lasted more than four days, but they were common enough to be problematic.
Reagan had been elected making campaign promises about spending cuts, and he vetoed bills that
did not meet him halfway.
This was caused by the congress having different parties controlling the house and senate,
making them differ on what to cut and how far.
The first shutdown was because of a veto, the second was because of passing the bill
to late.
This time around, nearly everybody got the days off that their government couldn't pay
for them.
Even groups like the FBI and military had furlows of the lower personnel.
Each one during Reagan's presidency was related to arguments over spending cuts.
I don't have time to go over each one, but suffice it to say, republicans wanted more
from social programs, and democrats from the military.
The last shutdown, though, was different.
It had to do with the Fairness Doctrine that was upheld by the FCC and the Iran-Contra
fiasco.
The then democratically controlled congress held the government captive to stop these
issues.
They kept the Fairness Doctrine in order to stop funding the Contras.
Under Bush Senior, there was a complete shutdown over the budget not including a deficit reduction
package.
Bush vetoed it, forcing the democratically controlled congress to comply, but not without
a four day shutdown because of their failing to reject the veto.
In 1994 there was a resurgence of control in congress by the republicans (often called
the republican revolution).
Clinton resisted their push for a balanced budget, which resulted in seven day complete
shutdown.
Clinton agreed to a seven year time-table on balancing the budget.
Later that year, the government shutdown because of differences in how to balance the budget.
Newt Gingrich, Speaker for the House at the time, held the government hostage to try to
get the republican numbers.
This shutdown lasted for 22 days.
Clinton was unreceptive, and eventually won with his budgetary measures, which still balanced
the budget, just not the way the republicans had wished for.
There is one more incident to remark upon before we get to this week.
Back in 2011 there was a technical shutdown of four hours.
The congress worked until 3 in the morning to pass a bill that would continue the funding,
but technically during that time, the government was shut down, though nothing really happened.
This was also caused by resistance to Obamacare.
Now we get to the current one.
We are in day 3 of another shutdown.
This one is completely about the Obamacare bill which is technically in effect, starting
during this shutdown.
Most governmental programs are still operating for the time being, but more and more of them
will cease to be the longer this goes on.
Currently this is only a partial shutdown, but it will become a full one if it continues
much further.
If the history of these shutdowns show anything, it is that they are fairly inconsequential
to the American people.
Some people may experience a temporary furlough or a break in their welfare subsidies, but
it is temporary.
Everyone has to shoulder the burden of these political time-outs, until some stop-gap measure
is reached.
The issues are hardly ever resolved, and there will be more blood-letting to come.
We just have to deal with no subsidies or national parks for a few days.
Oh well.
Doesn't stop local governments.
Thanks for watching.
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Watch the last video on the Equal Rights amendment.
I'll see you next time.