[washingtonismoney]

I don't think that's true.  I think Democrats welcome the prospect of a government shutdown to show what mean, bad people the Republicans are.  Didn't get your SS check?  Republican fault.  Long lines/shut down at the fill-in-the-blank government supported organization?  Republican fault. 

It's so, so, so easy to blame the Republicans during shut down time.

You may be right about the political tack Democrats take, but I don't think they relish government shutdowns at all. Consider the price Obama and the Democrats were willing to pay the first time around (which most people agree favored the Republicans) for the sequester. Revealed preference, of course, is that the Democrats value government functioning quite highly.

My reasoning for why this is the case: short-term, Democrats might win by pointing out particular programs that are shut down. But long term, it reinforces a lack of confidence in government, which probably blunts the political prospects for additional government programs (e.g. universal Pre-K, more high speed rail, etc.)

[washingtonismoney]

I don't think that's true.  I think Democrats welcome the prospect of a government shutdown to show what mean, bad people the Republicans are.  Didn't get your SS check?  Republican fault.  Long lines/shut down at the fill-in-the-blank government supported organization?  Republican fault. 

It's so, so, so easy to blame the Republicans during shut down time.

You may be right about the political tack Democrats take, but I don't think they relish government shutdowns at all. Consider the price Obama and the Democrats were willing to pay the first time around (which most people agree favored the Republicans) for the sequester. Revealed preference, of course, is that the Democrats value government functioning quite highly.

My reasoning for why this is the case: short-term, Democrats might win by pointing out particular programs that are shut down. But long term, it reinforces a lack of confidence in government, which probably blunts the political prospects for additional government programs (e.g. universal Pre-K, more high speed rail, etc.)