For the first time in two decades, Congress has closed a major piece of the government due to what President Obama calls a "ideological crusade" of the House Republicans, who are opposing his new health care laws. But more generally, there are certain areas of government that need funding each year in order to properly operate, and if Congress can't make a decision regarding how they will be funded, they have no choice but to shut down. The government's closing is not as dooming as the phrase may imply, but nonetheless, it has inconvenienced countless innocent Americans.
Within the first day of its closing, the government has blockaded the public from countless National Parks and monuments across the country. The immediate effects of these restrictions are seen through cities like New York and D.C. that have a constant traffic of tourists who come to see the famous National Landmarks, but are now prohibited from the sights they paid to visit. More alerting, though, is the simultaneous closing of important Federal Agencies such as NASA and the EPA.
As if America's instability didn't already cause its people enough discomfort, many are forced to worry about their financial situation as well. Congress divided federal workers into two categories: "essential" and "non-essential." If you're apart of the unlucky 800,000 people who were deemed "non-essential," then you are now temporarily out of a job. That means 800,000 have lost the paycheck that they depend on. It's possible they will be reimbursed for this period without work, but only after Congress has reached a resolution.
This entire situation brings the flaws of the Constitution to the forefront, and further proves the points of Levinson and Dahl when they say that its no longer a document that suits democracy in America. The situation described above is called political gridlock, and it is oftentimes seen as the main reason to why nothing can ever be accomplished. The Constitution doesn't work towards preventing these undemocratic properties, but instead it only intensifies it through it's nearly impossible method of approval that calls for the majority vote in both houses and the White House. Not to mention the fact that a minority can block something from being passed through filibusters! These outdated systems are weakening the strength of the United States of America, but more importantly, punishing its people who have done nothing wrong.
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