“U.S. government shutdown” refers to a situation in which the U.S. government stops providing non-essential services to the taxpayers; for example, national parks and museums close their doors. The reason for this is a lack of available funding. A government shutdown is nothing new to the U.S. economy. There have been many instances when the U.S. government temporarily stopped providing non-essential services, but then shortly after, they were resumed. Past government shutdowns, in general, weren’t severe—the shutdowns didn’t last long. The longest U.S. government shutdown was during President Bill Clinton’s period, and it lasted 21 days.