Expert on the political motives driving the partial government shutdown
Disagreement in the U.S. Congress over continued funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) led to a partial government shutdown with no immediate end in sight.
Political communications expert Cayce Myers offered analysis of the partisan standoff behind the shutdown and why government shutdowns have become so frequent.
When will the current shutdown come to an end?
“The DHS shutdown has no clear end in sight because of the impasse between Republicans and Democrats on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reform,” Myers said.
“Democrats have low incentive to create a compromise because their base supporters strongly favor a tough stance against ICE in the wake of the events in Minneapolis and other cities. Politically, the shutdown has worked in Democrats’ favor, energizing their voters for what is going to be a highly competitive midterm election in which the party has a real opportunity to retake the majority in the House of Representatives. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) has also been pushed to taking tough stances on immigration from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, so politically, this shutdown enhances his standing among those voters,” he said.
“Meanwhile, Republicans also have low incentive to compromise, because ICE is funded partially by the legislation known as the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ that passed in the summer of 2025. Moreover, Republicans have campaigned heavily on immigration enforcement, which has traditionally had a high rate of success with their voting base. Unlike the shutdown in 2025, this shutdown also has less immediate impact on Americans as it is only partial, so government benefits and services that lapsed in 2025 won’t this time,” Myers said.
Why have there been so many federal government shutdowns?
“Shutdowns have become more common in the last few years because they are political leverage for those in the minority party in Congress,” Myers said. “We currently exist in a political environment where shutdowns are used to amplify a political issue or message, especially during election years. It’s a political reality that Americans are growing accustomed to as polarization, slim majorities in Congress, and conflicts over major political issues like immigration and health care have become commonplace. For most of American history, until the 1970s, shutdowns were nonexistent.”
About Myers
Cayce Myers is the director of graduate studies at the School of Communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. He specializes in media history, political communication, and laws that affect public relations practice. Read more about him here.
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