For the second time this year, U.S. lawmakers are trying to avert a government shutdown

Federal funding for the U.S. government is set to expire on November 17th, marking the second time this year that lawmakers are racing to avoid a government shutdown. Analysts say House Speaker Mike Johnson faces a key test in keeping the government open, as divisions remain among members of the GOP over spending bills. 

Faculty experts at the George Washington University are available to offer insight, commentary and analysis on a number of topics related to a potential government shutdown, including the potential impacts on Americans and the U.S. economy, as well as the political processes playing out. If you would like to speak with an expert, please contact GW Media Relations at [email protected]. 

Public Policy 

Joseph Cordes is a professor of economics, public policy and public administration, and international affairs. He also serves as Co-Director of the GW Regulatory Studies Center. He has published articles on tax policy, government regulation, and government spending and his areas of expertise include public finance, taxation, and corporation financial policy. Cordes can discuss the impact a government shutdown could have on the U.S. economy and Americans. 

Lang (Kate) Yang is a professor at GW’s Trachtenberg School of Public Policy & Public Administration. Her research interest is in state and local government finances. Her recent publications examine how states address local government fiscal stress through monitoring, intervention, and bankruptcy authorizations. Further, she examines the incentives and impediments to government financial reporting, disclosure, and transparency. Yang can discuss the impact a government shutdown can have on social security and various benefits.

Politics 

Sarah Binder is a professor of political science. Binder’s work focuses on the politics of legislative institutions, including their origins, development and impact on policy outcomes. Her areas of expertise include Congress, Legislative politics, American political economy, and political parties.

Peter Loge is the director of GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs. He has nearly 30 years of experience in politics and communications, having served as a deputy to the chief of staff for Sen. Edward Kennedy during the 1995 shutdown, a VP at the US Institute of Peace in 2013, and held senior positions for three members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Loge currently leads the Project on Ethics in Political Communication at the School of Media and Public Affairs and continues to advise advocates and organizations. He can weigh in on the ethics of a shutdown, as political gamesmanship comes at the expense of public trust in Congress, as well as the politics of it.

Casey Burgat, Legislative Affairs Program Director and Associate Professor at GW’s School of Political Management is an expert on Congressional capacity and reform. Dr. Burgat co-authored Congress Explained: Representation and Lawmaking in the First Branch and can speak to what a government shutdown would mean for Congress and its legislative process.

Todd Belt, Professor and Political Management Director is an expert in mass media and politics, the Presidency, campaigns and elections, public opinion and more. Dr. Belt can speak to the political implications of the shutdown.

Matt Dallek, a professor at GW’s Graduate School of Political Management, is a political historian with expertise in the intersection of social crises and political transformation, the evolution of the modern conservative movement, and liberalism and its critics. Along with four co-authored books, Dallek is the author of Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right, which explores the history and influence of America’s right-wing activism. He can discuss the House Republicans’ influence on the government shutdown, among other topics. 

Law 

Aram Gavoor, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs; Professional Lecturer in Law, is an expert in American administrative law, federal courts and national security. Earlier in his career, Gavoor served as Senior Counsel for National Security in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Gavoor can discuss what a government shutdown would mean for the court system and the  legal implications it would have on Americans. 

Potential Impacts on Travel

Jungho Suh, teaching assistant professor of management, is an expert in the travel industry. Specifically, his areas of expertise include evidence-based entrepreneurship (EBE), strategic human resource management, service management, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), sustainability & ESG reporting in the travel industry, digital platforms in the service industry, and gastronomy tourism. Suh can discuss the potential impacts a shutdown may have on travel. 

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