The point of a government shutdown is not to achieve any specific policy goal, but rather to force a resolution to a budgetary impasse between the legislative and executive branches of government. When Congress fails to pass or the President refuses to sign a spending bill to fund the federal governments operations, a funding gap results that can cause several government functions to be temporarily disrupted. During a shutdown, federal agencies must discontinue all non-essential discretionary functions until funding legislation has been signed into law. The length of a shutdown can vary, but it can lead to delays in processing applications for passports, small business loans, or government benefits; shuttered visitor centers and bathrooms at national parks; fewer food-safety inspections; and various inconveniences. Shutdowns can also disrupt government services and programs, close national parks and institutions, reduce government revenue, and reduce economic growth. Shutdowns carry a cost to the economy, and longer shutdowns negatively affect private-sector investment and hiring decisions as businesses cannot obtain federal permits and certifications or access federal loans.