The US government is facing a potential shutdown as the Friday night deadline for passing a spending bill approaches. The shutdown, driven by political deadlock, could furlough around 875,000 federal workers while 1.4 million essential workers would continue without pay during the holiday season. Although essential services like air traffic control and law enforcement would remain operational, employees will not be paid immediately, though they typically receive retroactive compensation once the shutdown ends.

Programs such as Social Security and Medicare would continue as usual, but services from Social Security offices may be limited. The National Park Service would also be affected, with parks and monuments potentially closed to visitors, as seen in the 2013 government shutdown.

The duration of the shutdown remains uncertain, but economists suggest it could last up to two weeks. A prolonged shutdown would likely increase pressure to reopen the government, especially as federal employees begin to miss paychecks. Past shutdowns have already shown the broader economic impact, potentially reducing growth by 0.2 percentage points.

Observers are concerned that the political chaos surrounding this shutdown could be a preview of the future governance style under President Trump’s second term. While markets are unlikely to suffer greatly, the threat of future shutdowns and debt issues could cause more significant financial uncertainty.