From an international perspective, the ongoing US government shutdown is a perplexing spectacle of political dysfunction that raises questions about the stability and reliability of a global superpower. The repeated failure of the Senate, including another unsuccessful vote on Wednesday, to perform the basic task of funding its own government is a source of both astonishment and concern for allies and adversaries alike.
For many allied nations, whose parliamentary systems rarely allow for such complete breakdowns, the concept of a government willingly shutting itself down over a domestic policy dispute is baffling. It projects an image of internal chaos and unreliability, potentially eroding confidence in US commitments abroad.
For economic competitors and geopolitical rivals, the shutdown is a display of political weakness. It highlights the deep internal divisions within the American political system, which can be exploited. The inability of Congress to agree on a budget can be framed as evidence of a declining power, consumed by its own partisan infighting.
The specific details of the dispute—a fight over Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits versus a “clean” funding bill—are often lost in the broader picture. What the world sees is a government at war with itself, where leaders like Speaker Mike Johnson and Senator Chuck Schumer are more focused on attacking each other than on governing.
This recurring spectacle damages America’s “soft power”—its ability to lead by example. A government that cannot even keep its own national parks open or guarantee its soldiers’ paychecks finds it much harder to lecture other nations on democracy and good governance.