WASHINGTON − As President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats clash over government spending , a partial government shutdown looms Oct. 1 .

Partisan spending disputes occasionally shut down parts of the government for a few days or a few weeks. Traditionally, "essential" workers such as military troops or air-traffic controllers are exempt from a shutdown, while visitors to national parks notice custodial workers are "non-essential" and trash piles up.

The stakes are higher for federal workers because the White House is considering layoffs rather than temporary furloughs. In past shutdowns, workers were paid back for their time off when the funding dispute was resolved, but it's not clear that will happen this time.

Here's what to know about potential shutdown:

What

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