Unit 2

filibuster: technique to delay a bill; obstructs the progress of a legislative assembly

longest goes to USS Strom Thurmond of S.C spoke for 24hr 18min against 1957 civil rights act, demonstrating the extent to which a filibuster can be utilized to stall legislative action.
have to be standing

cloture: ends debate and now can vote on the bill, requiring a supermajority (3/5s of senate, 60 votes) to pass

Points for Keeping the Filibuster

Points Against Keeping the Filibuster

minority is protected and promotes bipartisanship
legislation can cool and go through
stages of productive debate
fights extremists of the political spectrum

interrupts legislation and minorities can block what the 'majority' of what people want (very much factioncore, madisoncore)
has historically been used in nefarious reasons
prevents meaningful debate and deliberate argument

unanimous request: congressional agreement with no objections obstructing the process
hold - object to a UC request

“one person, one vote” :each vote should hold the same weight and significance across the country

redistricting: congress & state districts boundaries redrawn every 10 years post-census
→ gerrymandering: manipulating boundaries unfairly to favor a party

Note