Polarization manifests itself in what is now the second longest government shutdown in United States history, which began Oct. 1. As this shutdown gets closer to surpassing the longest one, news outlets ranging from Fox News to The Guardian agree on one thing: there seems to be no end in sight.

“You’re seeing a clear lack of trust and compromise between both sides,” AP Government teacher Keith Lichtenberg said. “I certainly think that reflects what we’ve seen in some parts of our divisive nation.”

The House of Representatives has approved a bill to maintain funding for federal agencies through Nov. 21. The Senate, on the other hand, has not reached the required majority of 60 votes in order to pass the bill. Opponents of the bill argue that it needs to include guarantees for funding to programs such as Medicaid before it gets passed, while proponents of the bill argue that those programs are expensive and the government needs to open up as soon as possible.

The government shutdown took effect Oct. 1, once the federal budget from the last fiscal year expired without a new government spending plan in place. Congress authorizes the executive branch’s spending on federal agencies and programs. Without this authorization, the executive branch cannot put money into these agencies and programs until a new spending plan, however temporary, is implemented.

“I think it’s good for students to see how the process works, to see how the government’s funded,” Lichtenberg said. “Maybe it encourages people to look into what’s in government spending bills, what agencies are spending money on, and how Congress is voting. To me, those are all important things that students should be paying attention to.”

Nonessential federal workers have become furloughed.

“Nonessential” refers to federal employees who are not considered crucial to the government’s public safety or national security. Air traffic controllers, law enforcement, and military members fall under the “excepted” workers category, meaning they continue to work without pay.

“For some people, maybe they didn’t feel anything at the beginning,” Lichtenberg said. “But now, as it’s reaching week four, workers are missing their first paychecks.”

With federal programs losing funding due to the shutdown, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is among the first federal programs that the country is at risk of losing. SNAP provides low-income individuals and families with money designated specifically to buying food.

“One in eight Americans receive food assistance,” social studies teacher Dennis Rogala said. “Many of those people are our students, and to see families not get food would be greatly concerning.”

Despite it being administered through a federal agency, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which gives students applying to college the opportunity to receive financial aid from the federal government, has not undergone substantial effects of the government shutdown. However, as college application deadlines loom closer, students have begun to experience minor issues during the process of submitting this form that could be attributed to the government shutdown.

“I filled out FAFSA two days after the shutdown, so I don’t think my filing experience was all that affected, but the time it took to hear back definitely was,” senior Jane Kinnavy said. “It just took longer than it said it would, for me at least, and the website was really slow, too.”

The government shutdown can impact students in more ways than delaying FAFSA processing times — it can teach them more about the government. Checks and balances are seen on a much larger scale with more powerful consequences, and individuals are starting to require an understanding of the federal funding processes and where the government gets its money from.

“It’s a good reminder that you need a well-informed electorate,” Lichtenberg said. “Students who are active and engaged are necessary for being able to get a government that is responsive to our needs. If we put it secondary to all the other distractions in life, we’re going to be led with a lack of results and accountability.”