# How a US government shutdown happens

> A process map exported from forks.world (https://forks.world). Author: Brian. Source: https://forks.world/p/cmv0kpky3002ajn06yi0h1vtq
> It describes who does what, in what order, and with which technology. Read the plain-language sections first; the JSON at the end is the exact, complete data.

## Summary

- 13 steps across 1 layer
- Persona: Congress, The President, Federal agencies, Federal workers, The public

## Pain points

Where this process hurts, worst first:

- **Non-essential workers are furloughed; essential workers work unpaid** (How a US government shutdown happens; painful): Missed paychecks hit families fast, and back pay usually comes only later

## How to read this file

- A process is made of **layers**. The main layer is the top level; any step of kind `subprocess` opens a detail layer with its own lanes and steps.
- **Lanes** are either persona (people/roles) or technology (systems). Each step belongs to one lane; `using` lists tools a person uses for that step.
- Step kinds: `start`, `task`, `decision` (its arrows carry the answer as a label), `subprocess`, `end`.

## How a US government shutdown happens

Lanes:
- Congress: person / role (id `congress`)
- The President: person / role (id `pres`)
- Federal agencies: person / role (id `agencies`)
- Federal workers: person / role (id `workers`)
- The public: person / role (id `public`)

Steps, in the order they run:

1. **The fiscal year starts October 1 and needs funding bills** [start; Congress; id `s1`]
   - then Are all the funding bills passed on time?
2. **Are all the funding bills passed on time?** [decision; Congress; id `s2`]
   - if "Yes" go to The President signs and the government is funded; if "No" go to Pass a stopgap funding bill (a continuing resolution)?
3. **The President signs and the government is funded** [end; The President; id `s3`]
4. **Pass a stopgap funding bill (a continuing resolution)?** [decision; Congress; id `s4`]
   - if "Yes" go to Signed: time is bought, and the same fight returns at the next deadline; if "No" go to Funding lapses and a shutdown begins
5. **Signed: time is bought, and the same fight returns at the next deadline** [end; The President; id `s5`]
6. **Funding lapses and a shutdown begins** [task; Federal agencies; id `s6`]
   - then Staff are sorted into essential and non-essential
7. **Staff are sorted into essential and non-essential** [task; Federal agencies; id `s7`]
   - then Non-essential workers are furloughed; essential workers work unpaid
8. **Non-essential workers are furloughed; essential workers work unpaid** [task; Federal workers; id `s8`] ⚠ PAIN POINT (painful): Missed paychecks hit families fast, and back pay usually comes only later
   - then Some services slow or stop: parks, permits, some benefits
9. **Some services slow or stop: parks, permits, some benefits** [task; The public; id `s9`]
   - then Negotiations: each side blames the other
10. **Negotiations: each side blames the other** [task; Congress; id `s10`]
   - then Is there a deal?
11. **Is there a deal?** [decision; Congress; id `s11`]
   - if "Yes" go to A funding bill is signed; if "No" go to Negotiations: each side blames the other
12. **A funding bill is signed** [task; The President; id `s12`]
   - then Offices reopen and back wages are paid
13. **Offices reopen and back wages are paid** [end; Federal agencies; id `s13`]

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  subgraph l_congress["Congress"]
    n_s1(["The fiscal year starts October 1 and needs funding bills"])
    n_s2{"Are all the funding bills passed on time?"}
    n_s4{"Pass a stopgap funding bill (a continuing resolution)?"}
    n_s10["Negotiations: each side blames the other"]
    n_s11{"Is there a deal?"}
  end
  subgraph l_pres["The President"]
    n_s3(["The President signs and the government is funded"])
    n_s5(["Signed: time is bought, and the same fight returns at the next deadline"])
    n_s12["A funding bill is signed"]
  end
  subgraph l_agencies["Federal agencies"]
    n_s6["Funding lapses and a shutdown begins"]
    n_s7["Staff are sorted into essential and non-essential"]
    n_s13(["Offices reopen and back wages are paid"])
  end
  subgraph l_workers["Federal workers"]
    n_s8["Non-essential workers are furloughed; essential workers work unpaid"]
  end
  subgraph l_public["The public"]
    n_s9["Some services slow or stop: parks, permits, some benefits"]
  end
  n_s1 --> n_s2
  n_s2 -->|"Yes"| n_s3
  n_s2 -->|"No"| n_s4
  n_s4 -->|"Yes"| n_s5
  n_s4 -->|"No"| n_s6
  n_s6 --> n_s7
  n_s7 --> n_s8
  n_s8 --> n_s9
  n_s9 --> n_s10
  n_s10 --> n_s11
  n_s11 -->|"Yes"| n_s12
  n_s11 -->|"No"| n_s10
  n_s12 --> n_s13
```

## Full data (JSON)

```json
{
  "title": "How a US government shutdown happens",
  "maps": {
    "m_root": {
      "id": "m_root",
      "lanes": [
        {
          "id": "congress",
          "name": "Congress",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "pres",
          "name": "The President",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "agencies",
          "name": "Federal agencies",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "workers",
          "name": "Federal workers",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "public",
          "name": "The public",
          "type": "person"
        }
      ],
      "steps": [
        {
          "id": "s1",
          "kind": "start",
          "lane": "congress",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s2"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "The fiscal year starts October 1 and needs funding bills"
        },
        {
          "id": "s2",
          "kind": "decision",
          "lane": "congress",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s3",
              "label": "Yes"
            },
            {
              "to": "s4",
              "label": "No"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Are all the funding bills passed on time?"
        },
        {
          "id": "s3",
          "kind": "end",
          "lane": "pres",
          "next": [],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "The President signs and the government is funded"
        },
        {
          "id": "s4",
          "kind": "decision",
          "lane": "congress",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s5",
              "label": "Yes"
            },
            {
              "to": "s6",
              "label": "No"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Pass a stopgap funding bill (a continuing resolution)?"
        },
        {
          "id": "s5",
          "kind": "end",
          "lane": "pres",
          "next": [],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Signed: time is bought, and the same fight returns at the next deadline"
        },
        {
          "id": "s6",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "agencies",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s7"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Funding lapses and a shutdown begins"
        },
        {
          "id": "s7",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "agencies",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s8"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Staff are sorted into essential and non-essential"
        },
        {
          "id": "s8",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "workers",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s9"
            }
          ],
          "pain": {
            "note": "Missed paychecks hit families fast, and back pay usually comes only later",
            "level": 2
          },
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Non-essential workers are furloughed; essential workers work unpaid"
        },
        {
          "id": "s9",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "public",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s10"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Some services slow or stop: parks, permits, some benefits"
        },
        {
          "id": "s10",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "congress",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s11"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Negotiations: each side blames the other"
        },
        {
          "id": "s11",
          "kind": "decision",
          "lane": "congress",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s12",
              "label": "Yes"
            },
            {
              "to": "s10",
              "label": "No"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Is there a deal?"
        },
        {
          "id": "s12",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "pres",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s13"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "A funding bill is signed"
        },
        {
          "id": "s13",
          "kind": "end",
          "lane": "agencies",
          "next": [],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Offices reopen and back wages are paid"
        }
      ],
      "title": "How a US government shutdown happens",
      "parent": null
    }
  }
}
```