I like the following statement:
The world won't end if a dysfunctional Washington can't find a way to pass a funding bill before this weekend.
That's the truth about a government "shutdown": The government doesn't shut down.
Postal workers and the military will continue on the job but fewer than half of the 2 million civilian workers would find themselves benched.
The air traffic control system, food inspection, Medicare, veterans' health care and many other essential government programs would run as usual. The Social Security Administration would not only send out benefits but would continue to take applications — though replacements for lost Social Security cards would have to wait. The Postal Service, which is self-funded, would keep delivering the mail. The Federal Emergency Management Agency could continue to respond to last year's spate of disaster.
Generally, things will go on with just minor discomforts to the public.
Full story @ What happens when the government shuts down
