Why Don’t Other Countries Shut Down Like the United States?

An impasse in the Senate has once again forced Washington into shutdown, but why does this occurrence not afflict other nations?

The U.S. Capitol Building in Washington on Oct. 2, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

The U.S. federal government shut down on Oct. 1 after the Senate rejected a proposal to continue funding.

But why does this type of shutdown only happen in the United States, whereas it is virtually unheard of in the rest of the world?

Shutdown or Clear Out?

In many other countries, when an impasse like the current one in Washington is reached, rather than a shutdown, it triggers a change in government, through national elections or changes to a coalition.