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Shutdowns are a repeat feature of US politics – however the current situation appears especially difficult to resolve because of political dynamics and bad blood between the two parties.

Some government services face a temporary halt, and about 750,000 people are expected to be put on furlough without pay as both political parties remain unable to reach consensus on a spending bill.

Legislative attempts to resolve the deadlock continue to fall short, and it is hard to see an off-ramp this time as each side – including the President – can see some merit in digging in.

Here are the four ways that make this shutdown distinct in 2025.

First, For Democrats, it's about Trump – beyond healthcare issues

The Democratic base has been demanding for months that their party more forcefully fights the Trump administration. Currently the party leadership has a chance to show their responsiveness.

In March, Senate leader was fiercely criticised for helping pass GOP budget legislation thus preventing a shutdown in the spring. Now he's digging in.

This is a chance for the Democratic party to show they can take back some control from a presidency that has moved aggressively with determined action.

Refusing to back the GOP budget proposal comes with political risk as citizens generally will grow frustrated as the dispute drags on and consequences begin to mount.

The Democrats are leveraging the shutdown fight to put a spotlight on ending healthcare financial support and GOP-backed government healthcare cuts affecting low-income populations, which are both unpopular.

Additionally, they're attempting to restrict the President's use of his executive powers to rescind or withhold money approved by Congress, which he has done in international assistance and other programmes.

2. For Republicans, it's an opportunity

The President and one of his key officials have openly indicated of the fact that they perceive an opening to advance further reductions in government employment that have featured in the Republican's second presidency so far.

The nation's leader personally said last week that the government closure provided him with a "unique chance", and that he would look to cut "opposition-supported departments".

Administration officials stated they would face a "challenging responsibility" involving significant workforce reductions to maintain critical federal operations if the shutdown continued. An administration spokesperson described this as "fiscal sanity".

The scope of the potential lay-offs remains unclear, though administration officials has been in discussions with federal budget authorities, or OMB, which is headed by the key official.

The budget director has previously declared the suspension of federal funding for Democratic-run parts of the country, such as NYC and Chicago.

Third, Trust Is Lacking on either side

While previous shutdowns have been characterised by late-night talks between the two parties aimed at restoring federal operations, currently there seems minimal cooperative willingness for compromise presently.

Instead, animosity prevails. The bad blood persisted recently, with Republicans and Democrats exchanging accusations regarding the deadlock's origin.

House Speaker a Republican, charged opposition members with insufficient commitment about negotiating, and holding out during discussions "to get political cover".

Simultaneously, the Senate leader made similar charges at the other side, stating how a Republican promise to discuss healthcare subsidies after operations resume cannot be trusted.

The President himself has escalated tensions through sharing a computer-created controversial depiction of the Senate leader and the top Democrat opposition figure, where the legislator is depicted with traditional headwear and a moustache.

The affected legislator and other Democrats called this racist, which was denied by the Vice-President.

4. The US economy is fragile

Analysts expect approximately two-fifths of the federal workforce – over 800,000 workers – to be put on unpaid leave as a result of the government closure.

That will depress spending – and also have wider ramifications, including halted environmental approvals, patent approvals, payments to contractors and other kinds of government activity connected to commercial interests cease functioning.

A shutdown also injects new uncertainty into an economy already being roiled by changes ranging from trade measures, previous budget reductions, enforcement actions and technological advancements.

Analysts estimate potential reduction of approximately 0.2% off US economic growth weekly during the closure.

But the economy typically recoups the majority of interrupted operations following resolution, similar to recovery patterns after major environmental events.

That could be one reason why financial markets has appeared largely unfazed by the current stand-off.

Conversely, experts indicate that if administration officials implement proposed significant workforce reductions, the damage could be more long-lasting.