Twice in 2023, the American government faced the prospect of having to shut down because politicians in congress couldn’t agree on a budget to fund it. Each time, a shutdown was narrowly averted – by last minute, short-term deals.
Now, a third deadline is looming in mid-January. It leaves politicians – with fierce disagreements over what services the government should pay for, and how – little time to reach an agreement.
We look at the impact of this uncertainty on businesses, and ask, in an election year, what can be done to bring the chaos to an end?
Presented and produced by Rob Young
(Image: An employee walks past a sign at the entrance of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History during a 35-day partial government shutdown in Washington, DC, January 28, 2019. Credit: Getty Images)
The world's longest subsea power cable
Kimchi: Korean food goes global
How to spot a diamond
Disruption in the diamond sector
Business Daily meets: Cycling boss Doug Ryder
Argentina goes to the polls
Biden and Xi to meet in San Francisco
The classic cars going electric
How has war changed the lives of Ukraine’s working women?
Business Daily meets: Silvina Moschini
Last orders for the Irish pub?
Caste bias in corporate America
The Chinese migrants trying to get into the US
Saudi Arabia's multi-billion dollar football powerhouse bet
Why is the French wine industry struggling?
Business Daily meets: Babbel CEO Arne Schepker
The Crypto King and the journalist
Spook-onomics: the global boost of Halloween
The electric car race
Elon Musk's X: The Twitter takeover a year on
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Commercial Edge: Unleash the Power of People
The emPOWERed Half Hour
Global News Podcast
Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4
The Infinite Monkey Cage
You’re Dead to Me
Elis James and John Robins