“Believe or not, but hundreds of thousands of federal employees missing work may prove to be just the beginning of the 2013 government shutdown story. Not only will the economy incur exponentially more damage the longer the shutdown lasts, but as logistical limitations mount and already-appropriated funds run dry, the personal stories of hardship and suffering will become more numerous and dire as well. From senior citizens who can’t obtain the Social Security money they depend on for survival to students who are unable to secure the loans they need to pursue higher education, the unintended consequences of these nonsensical political games will continue to mount until we hit a breaking point. The question is whether the breakthrough will come in the form of a practical resolution to the standoff or irreparable damage to the country’s economy and reputation? Interestingly enough, while sick children and disappointed World War II veterans have only been able to prompt piecemeal funding proposals, the anger of key constituencies may just prove to be the impetus needed to break the Congressional stalemate, particularly since Republican-leaning states stand to be hit disproportionately hard by a prolonged shutdown. WalletHub came to that conclusion after analyzing seven key areas in which government inoperability will affect citizens and then ranking their relative impact on each of the 50 states as well as the District of Columbia. More information about these metrics as well as a breakdown of our findings can be found below.”
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