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 electric car race
Elon Musk's X: The Twitter takeover a year on
Business Daily meets: Akinwumi Adesina
Short Stories: The amateur trader
Short Stories: The CEO
Short Stories: The activist short seller
Business Daily meets: Andre Schwammlein
What makes a stadium special?
Why is the US building electric car battery factories?
Bottles or balsa: What should wind turbine blades be made from?
The impact of India's rice export ban
Business Daily meets: Durreen Shahnaz
Dumb Money: Unpicking the GameStop saga
The rising price of fuel in Nigeria
Fire-proofing California’s wine industry
The Commonwealth Games in crisis?
Fashion: Becoming a designer
Fashion: Paying less for the wedding dress?
Fashion: Doing business in Paris
Fashion: Dupe culture
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Commercial Edge: Unleash the Power of People
The emPOWERed Half Hour
World Business Report
Global News Podcast
Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4
The Infinite Monkey Cage
You’re Dead to Me