The United States government has entered the third day of shutdown as politicians fail to compromise on immigration and spending issues.

In October 2013, 800,000 public sector employees stood down for more than two weeks, sending the country into chaos.

This time, around 55% of employees aren’t showing up to work, leaving attractions like the Statue of Liberty and Yellowstone National Park closed for tourists.

Ross Greenwood speaks with US Studies Centre Fellow Dougal Robinson about why this is happening and when it will end.

“The big problem here is both sides of politics are digging in their heels.

“These are very high stakes negotiations, Republicans and Democrats have a very clear sense of what they each want, but they’re not able to find the middle ground.

“Immigration is a really charged issue that this is being fought over right now.”

Click PLAY below for the full interview