The United States has largely been the exception rather than the rule when it comes to shutdowns.
In addition to the last-minute spending deal in Congress on October 1, 2023, hundreds of thousands Federal employees to be furloughed The business of government will come to a standstill. according to some accounts,This will be 22nd time since 1976 America must deal with this political paralysis.
But it doesn’t have to be this way—and In most countries this is not the case. Other Western democracies have experienced polarization and political instability, but not this problem. Take Britain, for example, which is traditionally one of Washington’s closest allies and “mother of parliament”.
In the British system, a government shutdown cannot happen – in fact, it has never happened and probably never will.
So why are they happening in Washington and not London? Essentially, this comes down to four factors: the relative power of the Legislature; how easy it is to pass a budget; political risk; and unique appropriations rules.
1. Legislative power
There are significant differences in the way the UK and US legislatures develop their budget processes.
In the UK, only the executive branch – the ruling party or coalition – has power Power to propose spending plans. Parliament, made up of members from all political parties, has an oversight and approval role, but it has very limited powers over the budget timeline or budget. Modify spending plan. This is in stark contrast to the United States, where Congress—which may be divided or controlled by a different party than the executive branch—plays a more central role.
The President of the United States begins the budget process by laying out the government’s funding priorities.However, the Constitution gives Congress The power of wallet — that is, the power to tax and spend.
Additionally, past legislation has increased congressional control. Congressional Budget Act of 1974 Help Reduce presidential involvement in the budget process, giving Congress more power over the schedule.This gives Congress more power, but also provides it with more opportunities Arguing and sabotaging the budget process.
2. Pass the budget threshold
There are also differences in voting rules between Parliament and the UK Parliament. Passage of the U.S. budget is inherently more complex because it requires support from both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
In Parliament, however, the two houses – the elected House of Commons and the unelected House of Lords – do not have the same level of participation. Two Acts of Parliament 1911 and 1949 Limit the power of the House of Lordspreventing it from amending or blocking laws related to the budget.
Furthermore, approving Westminster’s budget requires only an absolute majority in the House of Commons. In the UK this tends to be a fairly straightforward hurdle to overcome. The ruling party also typically has a majority of votes in the House of Representatives, or is able to muster one with the support of a smaller party. In Congress, however, it’s not so easy. While the House only needs a simple majority, the Senate still needs 60 votes to end debate before passing a bill with a majority.
3. Political risks
U.S. and British politicians do not face the same high stakes over budget approval. Members of Congress may ultimately pay a political price for how they vote on the budget, but their jobs are not immediately at risk.This is not the case in the UK
In fact, the UK’s governing party or coalition must Maintaining ‘confidence’ in the House of Commons Stay in the office. In other words, they need majority support to cast critical votes. If the UK government loses a formal vote of confidence, they could actually collapse – being forced to resign or call for new elections.Since faith is also Implied in other major polls, such as the annual budget proposal, which raises the stakes for members of parliament. They tend to think twice before voting against the budget for fear of triggering the dissolution of parliament and new elections.
4. Unique funding rules
Finally, appropriations rules also set the United States apart.For decades, federal agencies could still operate Although the financing bill did not pass. However, this changed with a 1980 ruling by then-Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti.He determined that if the government Spending money without congressional approval.
The decision led to an even more severe shutdown. But this is not an issue in the UK, which has unique funding rules. The so-called “Account voting“Allowing the UK government to “advance funds required for the next financial year. “
Garrett Martin He is a senior professor lecturer and co-director of the Transatlantic Policy Center. American University School of International Service.
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