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Fact check: How many times has the US government shut down under Democratic and Republican administrations?
Executive Summary
The sources in the record disagree on the tally of U.S. federal government shutdowns: earlier accounts report between 14 and 20 shutdowns since 1980, while more recent timelines count 22 shutdowns since 1976, including the October 2025 lapse. The discrepancy stems from differing definitions of a “shutdown” (funding gaps vs. operational furloughs) and where analysts draw the start date, producing consistent agreement on key long closures like the 1995–1996 and the December 2018–January 2019 shutdowns [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. How many shutdowns? Conflicting tallies and why they diverge
The counts in the materials range from 14 to 22 shutdowns, reflecting methodological differences. Several 2023 pieces list 14 distinct shutdown events since 1980, emphasizing episodes that caused operational disruptions or furloughs [4]. A 2023 timeline places the total at 20 in the past four decades, noting some lasted longer than a week and highlighting the 34-day Trump-era closure as the longest at that time [1]. By contrast, later overviews compiled in 2025 move the historical baseline back to 1976 and count 22 shutdowns through October 2025, showing how inclusion of earlier funding gaps and the newest lapse increases the tally [2] [3] [5]. The central reason for variance is whether analysts count every funding gap and partial lapse of appropriations or only those that triggered widespread agency furloughs and service impacts.
2. The stable facts everyone agrees on — durations and headline closures
Across the sources there is clear agreement on the major shutdowns and their durations: the 1995–1996 pair under President Bill Clinton that totaled 26 days, and the December 2018–January 2019 closure tied to border-wall funding that ran over a month and was the longest modern shutdown, variously reported at 34 or 35 days depending on inclusion of partial days [1] [2] [5]. All accounts also flag the 2013 sequestration-related lapse and other multi-day disruptions in the 1980s and 1990s as significant for causing measurable federal workforce furloughs and service interruptions [6]. These agreed touchstones anchor divergent historical counts and are used as reference points in both shorter and longer compilations [1] [3].
3. Party control and shutdown responsibility: a nuanced picture
The sources collectively show shutdowns have occurred under both Democratic and Republican administrations, with no single party exclusively responsible. One analysis highlights President Ronald Reagan overseeing numerous funding lapses in the 1980s, while later closures occurred under Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Donald Trump [4]. The 2018–2019 shutdown occurred with Republican control of the White House and House-Senate dynamics at play, while other high-profile lapses reflected congressional standoffs where the House, Senate or White House blocked or refused appropriations [6] [7]. These accounts emphasize that institutional dynamics—split government, procedural tactics, and use of continuing resolutions—drive shutdowns as much as party ideology.
4. Counting methodology matters: funding gaps, furloughs, and historical baselines
Analysts diverge because of three methodological choices: whether to count every funding gap since 1976 or begin in 1980; whether to include short administrative lapses that did not trigger mass furloughs; and how to treat multi-part shutdowns that straddle administrations or funding bills [4] [2] [3]. The 2025 tallies that list 22 shutdowns explicitly include a broader set of funding lapses back to 1976 and incorporate the October 2025 shutdown as the latest event [2] [5]. Earlier counts that report 14 or 20 often restrict inclusion to episodes that caused operational disruption, which produces a lower total but highlights the events with the largest economic and personnel impacts [1] [4].
5. What this means for readers trying to compare party records
When comparing Democratic and Republican records, readers must first accept a consistent definition: are they counting every funding gap, or only closures that furloughed employees and halted significant services? The sources show that both parties presided over notable shutdowns; therefore, any partisan comparison must disclose the counting method and the time window used [1] [3] [6]. The most transparent approach is to present both totals—the narrower count of operationally disruptive shutdowns and the broader count of all funding gaps—so that conclusions about party responsibility rest on clearly stated criteria rather than implicit choices embedded in different timelines [6] [2].
6. Bottom line and recommended framing for fact-checks
Count conservatively and label definitions: report the two figures readers need—the narrower figure (14–20 disruptive shutdowns since 1980) and the broader figure (22 funding gaps since 1976 through October 2025)—and always specify the inclusion rules used. Cite the agreed, concrete cases (1995–1996; Dec 2018–Jan 2019) as benchmarks for impact, and note that discrepancies in totals stem from choice of baseline and what qualifies as a shutdown [1] [2] [3]. Transparent framing prevents misleading comparisons about party responsibility and clarifies why different reputable sources report different counts.