The price of a government shutdown

The Senate has passed a short-term budget deal that will keep the government funded through next Thursday. The measure still has to be approved by the House of Representatives.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/08/bud...hner-says/

The House is the one causing problems, so a Senate pass doesn't mean much....

I don't really keep up with politics as it's not my favorite subject, but just what would it mean if the government shut down?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_shutdown