Washington’s stubborn budget impasse found an ignominious place in history on Wednesday when it entered its 36th day, marking the longest government shutdown since the nation’s founding.

It didn’t happen by accident.

Instead, a variety of factors conspired to cause both sides to dig in for weeks without ceding an inch — a perfect storm of political brinkmanship, clashing ideologies and deep-rooted distrust that’s left Congress stumbling to find an elusive resolution before the economic damage gets worse.

The deadlock has put a pall over Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are frustrated, staffers aren’t getting paid, and the mood is dark, even compared to shutdowns of years past. And while senators appear to be inching toward a deal this week, the progress is fragile and a breakthrough far fr

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