is a bit old, shutdown ended the 12th and lasted 43 days https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_United_States_federal_government_shutdown?wprov=sfla1
this post was submitted on 17 Nov 2025
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Really seems crazy that we have a system where this is even possible.
You live with your roommate. Your neighborhood is run by an HOA. Your landlord is somehow not regulated by the HOA.
Your roommate and the landlord have decided they are going to demolish a house wall, with no general plan to clean up the destruction. They don't care what you have to say.
You decide not to pay your rent unless they both:
a) give up the needless idea of demolishing a perfectly good wall
b) fix the goddamned shower that barely functions correctly
You're called the bad guy to your HOA, neighbors, and even your family. People you don't even know call and harass you on the regular.
That wall is what separates your bedroom from the outside; it includes your closet.
What's going on with Reagan? Did the government shut down twice for less than a day each time? Or is that supposed to be no shutdowns under Reagan?
Reagan was an asshole. Tldr: the first one happened because he vetoed the spending bill, the second and third happened because he was trying to pressure congress over progressive policies he didn't agree with and relented on the days that the shutdowns happened
The story that I suspect is trying to be told is that "Republicans cause shutdowns" but that is not what this shows. Using a basic PCC^1^ shows that these 2 variables aren't particularly correlated:
With a standard error of +/- 0.302 the signal is technically outside the noise, but it's not a strong signal and is indicative that different methodologies will give different results.
In other words the data shown does not support the hypothesis. It's barely correlated and certainly not to enough of a degree to argue causation.
This might show the assumed premise if it included every year without a shutdown. I'm lazy, but I linked the tools so if somebody else wants to show that they can.
This does, arguably, show that shutdown length increases over time independent of controlling parties.
But, as is, it's a chart of two uncorrelated variables where the author and audience are assuming causation despite available data.
^1. not ideal, especially with such little data, but I'm lazy.^
I agree the story you think the stats are giving are not statistically significant. But I think there is different story... Length of shutdown had drastically increased recently. The problem with stats is the prove truth or show complete trash and both look the same if you don't have experience.
Length of shutdown had drastically increased recently.
Yes. That is what this is a graph of, but that's not particularly interesting and doesn't make for a good graphic. The interesting bit is the addition of uncorrelated variables to imply a correlation/causation that isn't supported by the data.
The problem with stats is the prove truth or show complete trash and both look the same if you don't have experience.
Right, which is why I would hope a "data is beautiful" community would be able to recognize trash when it sees it.
For somebody who knows how to use statistical programs, defining the X and Y values should not be hard...
Where's George W. Bush?
Probably should have him for completeness, but he didn't have any shutdowns - which kind of conflicts with the layout of this graphic