Gov't Shutdown: 1995 vs. 2013

(Above is a picture from the 1995 Gov't shutdown)

There are three main differences between the 1995 Government shutdown and the 2013 Government shutdown. This article from CNN, found below, explains why.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/01/politics/different-government-shutdowns/

Here's a quick summary:

Reason One:

1995: President Clinton and Speaker Gingrich were open to compromise

2013: President Obama and Speaker Boehner lack contact with one another

Reason Two: 

1995: Republicans and Democrats were more likely to come to some sort of an agreement eventually

2013: Partisanship is deeper, fewer moderates left on Capitol Hill which means more disagreement

Reason Three:

1995: The economy was booming during the shutdown. Unemployment was at an all-time low of 5.6%

2013: Current economy is sluggishly recovering and it is still fragile. Unemployment just recently shrunk to 7.3% and labor participation is at its lowest since August 1978.

(Below is a picture from the 2013 Gov't Shutdown)