<Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> In United States politics, a government shutdown occurs when Congress fails to pass or the President fails to sign appropriations: legislation funding federal government operations and agencies . In this case, the current interpretation of the Antideficiency Act requires that the federal government begin a "shutdown" of the affected activities involving the furlough of non-essential personnel and curtailment of agency activities and services . Since 1976, when the current budget and appropriations process was enacted, there have been twenty gaps in budget funding, eight of which led to federal employees being furloughed . Prior to 1990, funding gaps did not always lead to government shutdowns, but since 1990 the practice has been to shut down the government for all funding gaps . Shutdowns have also occurred at the state, territorial and local levels of government . </P> <P> During the Ronald Reagan administration, there were three funding gaps leading to shutdowns lasting one day or less . A funding gap in 1990 during the George H.W. Bush administration caused a weekend shutdown . During the Bill Clinton administration, there were two full government shutdowns during 1995 and 1996 lasting five and twenty - one days respectively, based on disagreement on whether to cut government services, leading to furloughs and significant disruption . During the Barack Obama administration, a government shutdown occurred during October 1--16, 2013 . The primary dispute was the Republicans' desire to delay or defund the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, known colloquially as Obamacare . Under the Donald Trump administration, a shutdown occurred from January 20--22, 2018, and then a funding gap occurred overnight for the first part of the day on 9 February 2018 that did not result in workers being furloughed . </P> <P> Government shutdowns have the effect of disruption to government services and increased cost to the government due to lost labor . During the 2013 shutdown, Standard & Poor's, the financial ratings agency, stated on October 16 that the shutdown had "to date taken $24 billion out of the economy," and "shaved at least 0.6 percent off annualized fourth - quarter 2013 GDP growth ." </P>

When was the last time the government was shutdown