In defense of government shutdowns

One of the resonant arguments in favor of capital punishment is actually a meta-argument: it's not so much the exercise of the death penalty that matters, but rather the option to exercise it. People are less likely to behave in a way they know will turn out badly for them; would-be criminals who know that they could be utterly destroyed are no exception. The same logic applies to government shutdowns, and explains why many conservatives are so frustrated with "we will not be shutting down the government" Mitch McConnell and the Republican leadership.