Track whether shutdown resolves through normal appropriations process or through emergency declarations/executive workarounds that would bypass Congress and elevate constitutional concern.
Government shutdowns represent separation-of-powers dysfunction (Congress-Executive budget impasse) but are temporary, reversible, and recurring rather than novel constitutional damage. The human impact (unpaid TSA workers, food banks) generates substantial media coverage and emotional resonance that exceeds the governance substance—this is a budget negotiation tactic, not institutional capture. The B-score dominates by 31 points.