Problem: Your response When partisanship becomes a problem and Congress becomes too divided, it can lead to a legislative gridlock since they can't agree on legislation. Further disagreements, particularly when discussing budgets, can lead to government shutdowns. During a government shutdown, what are considered non-essential government functions are put on pause. One of the most recent government shutdown happened back in 2018-2019. If Congress stays divided for significant amounts of time, it can also affect the economy, ruin the trust the people have in the government and possibly compromise national security. These threats of shutdowns are not uncommon. Even this year, if Congress can't agree on a short-term spending bill before the end of the month, we risk another government shutdown in early October