Description: The US Government lockdown entered its second week after the two largest parties failed to reach a consensus on key issues such as extending healthcare subsidies and reversing the Trump administration’s cuts of the Medicaid health program. The Republicans and the Democrats led separate initiatives which failed to materialize putting both parties in a precarious position. The lockdown has so far caused mass disruptions across airports in the US, stalled financial support for vulnerable groups of people while Trump has further threatened layoffs if the Government fails to open in the next couple of days. Democratic and Republican representatives shifted blame regarding the lockdown without outlining potential resolutions to the situation.
Impact: The US Government lockdown has already illustrated massive repercussions for the public sector as services and large groups of people were severely affected. Both parties are politicizing the issue with the Republicans attempting to position themselves as the political overlords of the country, blocking key healthcare and budget bills while the Democrats are prolonging the issue counting on elevated public outrage and disturbance which would pressure the ruling government to secede to their demands. Currently there are still no indications of a potential compromise regarding the ongoing sticking points as the shutdown threatens to cause widespread disruptions. Trump is also engaged in a gritty legal battle with the local government of several federal states regarding the deployment of National Guard troops which is coupled with protests in the affected cities. The domestic situation in the US remains substantially unstable, with public services disruptions and civil unrest prevailing as the major threats.