In the USA, why is there still a government shutdown when Congress and the White House are controlled by the same party?

Question

During the [United States federal government shutdown of 2018](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_federal_government_shutdown_of_2018), a single party commanded both the White House and a majority in both houses of Congress. Under these circumstances, why is there a government shutdown? Does it mean that this party is unable to agree between its members in Congress and its President?

Answer 1

While political parties should agree on their platform, it's not a guarantee. Recently, Congress allocated considerably less than the Executive believed was needed for a special project. The Congress must allocate the funds for the government to operate. In this case, rather than allocate funds to ensure government operation, the Executive refused to allow any continued federal funding unless the special project was fully funded. Without federal funding, the government shut down.

The government reopened when the Executive agreed to a compromise, then declared a "national emergency" thus allowing the Executive to siphon funds allocated by Congress for other purposes in order to fund the special project. The legitimacy of the national emergency was questioned and brought before the Judiciary. The Court ruled that the Executive did not overreach his authority by declaring a national emergency and was entitled to reallocate funds previously denied by Congress.