Congress needs to agree on a new funding bill by the end of this month, if not, thousands of federal employees will be sent home.

That will mean curtailing many services and programmes.

It is not the first time the US has cut it close.

American politicians seem to be constantly pushing budget negotiations to the brink.

It is yet another sign of a deeply divided political landscape in Washington.

So, what will a government shutdown mean for Americans?

Presenter: Laura Kyle

Guests:

Rina Shah – Founder and principal at the government and public affairs firm, Rilax Strategies

Thomas Gift – Director at the Centre on US Politics at University College London

Elaine Kamarck – Founding director at the Center for Effective Public Management at Brookings