In the aftermath of the government shutdown, most of the discussion has focused on the harm done to citizens and taxpayers. We need to acknowledge a less visible but more lasting outcome: repeated partisan shutdowns threaten the supply of the next generation of public servants by undercutting the attractiveness of government as a career.
The shutdown reminded Americans how essential a competent and functioning government is in our lives. The impact of the shutdown on our air safety agencies may have been the most dramatic. But there also were disruptions of such essential activities as food safety inspections and recalls, reviews of new pharmaceuticals, loans for homebuyers and housing quality inspections, clean-up of toxic sites, emergency federal aid to farmers to compensate mainly for a sharp drop in soybean prices, care of our national parks and rebuilding efforts after natural disasters.
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