US style of government by torture

When the two sides failed to strike a budget deal in 2011 they devised a punishment that would hurt each of them if negotiations were to fail again. When they duly failed, the "sequester"- a package of spending cuts to things cherished by both parties - took effect. As a result defence spending is projected to be reduced by 10% this year, while federal funding for research and development will fall by 5%. In September, faced with a similar choice between agreeing on a budget deal or stopping discretionary spending (the government shutdown), the parties opted for a shutdown. Among other things, this meant that most staff at the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, which tracks the spread of infectious diseases, were sent home for nearly three weeks. Once again, accepting something previously considered appalling proved preferable to compromise. (The Economist October 19th-25th 2013 P.31)