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A uthor: Ryan D. Griffiths , Syracuse University

The United States government has been shut down for nearly a month, yet another indication that the political system has become deeply dysfunctional.

President Donald Trump has blamed the Democrats and called their negotiating strategy a “ kamikaze attack .” Democrats are keen to stand their ground, hoping that the fallout is worse for Republicans . While each side casts blame on the other, it is Americans who suffer .

But the shutdown is just another episode in a series of polarization-fueled events that are leading Americans to lose faith in their government . Every nation has it limits, and one wonders how mu

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