The federal government reopened, but our fiscal worries are far from over. The bill that ended the shutdown only funds operations through Feb. 8 ^— which means that unless Democrats and Republicans can reach an agreement on appropriations by tomorrow, we’re looking at another shutdown in very short order.

It is, to put it mildly, a mess. But as with all sticky situations, it presents an opportunity to reflect on how we got here and why it’s so difficult to come to a solution.