When do voters expect government shutdown to end? Few are optimistic, poll finds

Mitchell Willetts, Miami Herald on Nov 6, 2025

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More than a month into a record-setting government shutdown — a standoff between Republicans and Democrats — many Americans are doubtful a resolution will be found anytime soon, a recent poll found.

The shutdown, which is on its 37th day as of Thursday, making it the longest in U.S. history, has left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay, millions of Americans on food assistance programs with far less financial aid, and is threatening to turn air travel into a disaster just in time for the holidays.

Despite the pain, a relatively few number of Americans expect either party to back down and reach an agreement on a funding bill needed to get the government back to work, a Tuesday YouGov poll shows.

More than a third of respondents, 35%, said they anticipate the shutdown to drag on for at least three more weeks or longer, data shows. By comparison, 23% believe the government will be fully operational again within two weeks or less.

However, the largest share, 42%, said they are unsure how long the shutdown will go on.

Researchers polled 1,656 Americans, and the results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5%, according to YouGov.

The shutdown stems from a disagreement over health care funding, with Democrats demanding an extension to health insurance subsidies the party argues are critical for keeping coverage affordable for many Americans. Republicans have declined to extend the health care tax credits and, in response, Democrats have refused to vote on a spending bill to fund the government, leaving the Republican-led Senate short of the 60 votes needed to pass the funding bill.

And there’s reason to believe the fight will continue.

In the wake of Tuesday’s elections, many influential Democrats are feeling emboldened by the sweeping successes of left-wing candidates across much of the country, taking the wins as a sign public opinion is tilting in their favor, Politico reported.

During a caucus call Wednesday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told fellow Democrats “to stay the course and hold the line,” the outlet reported.

While President Donald Trump’s administration has placed the blame for the shutdown squarely on Democrats — which the White House website’s shutdown clock claims in no uncertain terms — the brinksmanship may be hurting Republicans worse.

“I think if you read the pollsters, the shutdown was a big factor, negative for the Republicans,” Trump said at a recent breakfast with Republican senators, NPR reported. “And they say that I wasn’t on the ballot was the biggest factor, but I don’t know about that.”

YouGov polling reflects a move as well. Trump’s approval rating on handling the shutdown dropped six points from Oct. 10 to Oct. 31, polling showed. Approval for Democrats dropped by just one point in the same period.

Still, leaders on both sides say publicly they want to bring the shutdown to an end and are willing to negotiate, but it remains to be seen what concessions either side will make, Politico reports.

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