A sign for informing that Lincoln Memorial is closed due to the government shutdown is seen in Washington D.C., capital of the United States, in the file photo taken on Oct. 1, 2013. The U.S. government has begun a partial shutdown after the Republican-led House of Representatives refused to approve a budget for the year 2014. A New York Times bestseller has kept public attention high for weeks in the United States by exploring what are killing the U.S. democracy, indicating a popular reflection on the flaws of Western-style democracies. Political analysts across the Atlantic have all been alerted by the lower efficiency and ballooning chaos in governance as highlighted by government shutdowns in the United States, near paralyzed consensus-building for policy making in Europe, as well as voters' mounting dissatisfaction toward political elites, among others. (Xinhua/Lyu Mingxiang)
