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Shutdowns have become a recurring element of US politics – however this one feels particularly intractable due to political dynamics and deep-seated animosity between both major parties.

Some government services are temporarily suspended, with approximately 750,000 people are expected to be put on unpaid leave since Republicans and Democrats can't agree regarding budget legislation.

Legislative attempts to resolve the impasse continue to fall short, and it is hard to see a clear resolution path in this instance as both parties – as well as the nation's leader – can see some merit in digging in.

These are several key factors that make things feel different currently.

1. For Democrats, it's about Trump – beyond healthcare issues

Democratic supporters have insisted over recent periods that their party more forcefully fights the Trump administration. Well now Democratic leaders has a chance to show they have listened.

Earlier this year, Senate leader faced strong criticism for helping pass GOP budget legislation and averting a shutdown early this year. Now he's digging in.

This presents an opportunity for the Democratic party to show their ability to reclaim some control from an administration that has moved aggressively with determined action.

Opposing the GOP budget proposal carries electoral dangers that the wider public will grow frustrated with prolonged negotiations and impacts accumulate.

Democratic representatives are leveraging the budget standoff to put a spotlight on ending healthcare financial support together with Republican-approved federal health program reductions for the poor, which are both unpopular.

Additionally, they're attempting to restrict the President's use of his executive powers to rescind or withhold money authorized legislatively, which he has done with foreign aid and other programmes.

2. For Republicans, they see potential

The administration leader and one of his key officials have openly indicated their perspective that they perceive an opening to advance further reductions in government employment that have featured the current presidential term to date.

The nation's leader personally said last week that the shutdown had afforded him an "unprecedented opportunity", and that he would look to cut "opposition-supported departments".

Administration officials said it would be left with the "unenviable task" of mass lay-offs to keep essential government services operating if the shutdown continued. An administration spokesperson said this was just "budgetary responsibility".

The scope of the potential lay-offs remains unclear, though administration officials have been consulting with federal budget authorities, or OMB, under the leadership of the administration's budget director.

The administration's financial chief has already announced the halting of government financial support for regions governed by the opposition party, such as NYC and Illinois' largest city.

Third, Trust Is Lacking on either side

Whereas past government closures typically involved late-night talks between the two parties in an effort to get government services running again, there appears to be minimal cooperative willingness for compromise presently.

Instead, animosity prevails. Political tensions persisted recently, as both sides blaming each other for causing the impasse.

House Speaker from the majority party, accused Democrats of not being serious about negotiating, and maintaining positions over a deal "to get political cover".

Meanwhile, the Senate leader levelled the same accusation at the other side, saying that a majority party commitment regarding health funding talks after operations resume cannot be trusted.

The administration leader personally has inflamed the situation by posting a computer-created controversial depiction of the Senate leader along with another senior opposition figure, in which the legislator is depicted with a large Mexican-style sombrero and facial hair.

The representative with party colleagues called this racist, a characterization rejected by the Vice-President.

4. The US economy faces vulnerability

Analysts expect approximately two-fifths of the federal workforce – over 800,000 workers – to be put on unpaid leave due to the shutdown.

This will reduce consumer expenditure – and also have wider ramifications, as environmental permitting, delayed intellectual property processing, interrupted vendor payments and other kinds of government activity tied to business comes to a halt.

The closure additionally introduces fresh instability within economic systems already being roiled by changes ranging from trade measures, earlier cuts to government spending, immigration raids and artificial intelligence.

Economic forecasters project potential reduction of as much as 0.2 percentage points off US economic growth weekly during the closure.

But the economy typically recoups most of that lost activity following resolution, similar to recovery patterns caused by a natural disaster.

That could be one reason why financial markets have shown limited reaction by the current stand-off.

On the other hand, experts indicate that if the President carries out proposed significant workforce reductions, economic harm might become more long-lasting.