Who should take the blame for a government shutdown?

A shutdown is looming, and everyone's ready to point the finger

Who's to blame for a shutdown?
(Image credit: Al Drago-Pool/Getty Images)

The federal government is on the verge of a partial shutdown for the first time since 2013, and Democrats and Republicans have been trying to set the other party up to take the blame all week. The 850,000 federal workers who would be furloughed without pay might be wondering what they'll do without a paycheck, but in Congress and the White House the question that remains is the one posed by The Washington Post: "Who will win in the court of public opinion?"

The early polls are mixed — a new Quinnipiac poll says 34 percent of the public would blame Democrats, 32 percent would blame Republicans, and 21 percent would blame Trump. Other polls have been slightly more favorable for the Democrats. So, who should take the blame?

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.