Originally Posted: January 22, 2019
It’s the longest government shutdown in history, now entering its fifth week. It feels like shutdowns are more common these days. Is our perception reality? And if so, is this the new normal when it comes to the U.S. government? What are the consequences of a long shutdown, both in terms of economic and human toll? And what would it take to end this one? Or has Washington lost its will to negotiate?
Guest host Tiffany Hanssen spoke with two experts in presidential history and put this shutdown in perspective.
Guests:
Dr. Jeffery Engel, professor and founding director of the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University
Linda Bilmes, a professor of public policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University