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The Brian Lehrer Show

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The Brian Lehrer Show

Government in Crisis, in Context

Protesters demonstrate in front of the Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on April 6, 2011 urging for government spending cut.

As Tea Party Republicans insist that Obamacare be defunded or delayed, government has ground to a halt. What do we make of this moment in historical context? Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University and the author of Governing America: The Revival of Political History (Princeton University Press, 2012) discusses the history of shutdowns, inter-party schisms, and other moments of crisis.

Reading List: Putting the Shutdown Crisis in Context

Zelizer (CNN): Reforming Congress
John Judis (New Republic): One of the Worst In American History
Matthew Yglesias (Slate): Structural Problems in US Democracy
John Cassidy (New Yorker): Defying Description
Washington Post: History of Government Shutdowns