Garret Martin  is a Hurst senior professorial lecturer and the co-director of the Transatlantic Policy Center at the  American University School of International Service . When it comes to shutdowns , the U.S. is very much an exception rather than the rule. On Oct. 1, 2025, hundreds of thousands of federal employees were furloughed as the business of government ground to a halt. With negotiations in Congress seemingly deadlocked over a funding deal, many political watchers are predicting a