There have been 21 federal government shutdowns in the United States over the last 50 years. Since 1980, there have been 14 shutdowns, with the most recent and longest lasting 34 to 35 days occurring during the 2018-2019 period under President Trump. Shutdowns happen when Congress fails to pass funding legislation to finance the government, resulting in curtailment of many government activities and furloughs of federal employees. Shutdowns have become less common since 1990, but there have still been six since then. The 35-day shutdown in late 2018 to early 2019 was the longest in U.S. history.