---
title: "Republicans divided on impact of shutdown, willingness to compromise"
description: "The share of Tea Party Republicans who say the economic effect of a government shutdown will be major is 21 points lower than others in the GOP."
date: "2013-09-26"
authors:
  - name: "Bruce Drake"
    job_title: "Former Senior Editor"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/bruce-drake/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2013/09/26/republicans-divided-on-impact-of-shutdown-willingness-to-compromise/"
---

# Republicans divided on impact of shutdown, willingness to compromise

There are sharp partisan differences over the impact of a possible government shutdown on the economy. One divide is between the parties: 71% of Democrats say a government shutdown would have a major effect on the economy, but only 51% of Republicans agree. Among the overall public, 61% predict a shutdown will have a major impact while 30% say the effect will be minor.

[![DN_Republican_Divide](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2013/09/DN_Republican_Divide.png)](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2013/09/23/blame-for-both-sides-as-possible-government-shutdown-approaches/#sharp-differences)

But as has been the case on a range of issues, particularly in the GOP-controlled House, there are also markedly different views among Republicans who align with the Tea Party, and those who do not.

Tea Party Republicans, who pressed House Speaker John Boehner [to take a hard line](http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/19/us/politics/house-gop-to-tie-spending-bill-to-health-law-defunding.html?pagewanted=all) on the party's budget stance, are far less likely than non-Tea Party Republicans to see dire economic consequences if a government shutdown results from an impasse. A [Pew Research Center survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2013/09/23/blame-for-both-sides-as-possible-government-shutdown-approaches/#sharp-differences) conducted Sept. 19-22 found that 39% of Tea Partiers believe a shutdown would have a major effect on the economy compared to 60% of non-Tea Party Republicans -- a difference of 21 percentage points.

Tea Party Republicans are also far more likely than non-Tea party Republicans to say lawmakers should stand by their principles even if it means a government shutdown. About seven-in-ten (71%) Tea Partiers holds that view compared with 38% of non-Tea Party Republicans. (Over half -- 54% -- of non-Tea Party Republicans say lawmakers should be willing to compromise even if it’s on a budget they don't agree with.

Nearly nine-in-ten (87%) Tea Party Republicans favor the House GOP budget bill that would defund the health care law, compared to 61% of non-Tea Party Republicans.