The possibility of a government shutdown seems increasingly ominous. Each day, news hits the wires about a possible shutdown and its potential effects. We asked readers their opinion – will there be a shutdown, or is it all hype?
Based on the response of several thousand readers, the results were not very upbeat; 52.2% of those that responded in the non-scientific survey said a shutdown would happen, while 30.9% said no and 16.9% weren’t sure.
We posed two additional questions about a potential shutdown. These questions and their responses are outlined below.
If there is a shutdown, which political party do you think will realize a political benefit from the action?
| Republicans | 22.9% |
| Democrats | 25% |
| Both | 10.3% |
| Neither | 41.8 |
If there is a shutdown, do you anticipate that federal
employees will be paid for the time the government is not open for business?
| Yes | 45.2% |
| No | 38% |
| Undecided | 16.9% |
Despite the negative outlook on the shutdown, there was a slightly more upbeat view on retaining pay during a shutdown. If the last shutdown is any indicator, this view is probably justifiable.
It is unlikely to know with any certainty until at least next week if a shutdown is likely to happen, but we will continue to keep our readers informed of the events as they unfold.
