If the federal government shuts down on Oct 1, only essential staff get salaries. Congress is considered essential.
After the government shutdown, there will be a blame game to determine who gets held responsible for the closing of national parks etc. Either or both sides could in principle suffer the negative hit from the shutdown. Each party has to do something to get the upper hand in the argument. The first to renounce their salaries during the shutdown will get the upper hand. They can say ” We share the pain of the shutdown with the American people and stand in solidarity with them. The other side is not suffering and is inflicting pain on all of us – they have nothing to lose and are advancing an extreme political agenda which is not in the interests of the American people.” The other side will soon capitulate and give up their salaries too. But the second-mover does not reap the rhetorical benefit. There is huge incentive to move first. So, there is a pre-emption game and everyone renounces their salaries.
Cheap Talk 
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September 27, 2013 at 2:58 pm
Jonas Feit
I think it’s disingenuous to act as if both sides could be blamed for the shutdown. It’s no mystery that this is a Republican idea. If they were paying any attention to the world outside of their echo chamber, they would see that the rest of us know that.
September 29, 2013 at 3:52 pm
E
I think you’re making a non-trivial assumption about politicians’ objective functions.
September 29, 2013 at 11:36 pm
Anonymous
27th amendment to the Constitution:
No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.
September 30, 2013 at 2:53 pm
Sandeep Baliga
voluntary