Government and politics concepts · AP U.S. Government and Politics, AP U.S. History
Filibuster
Filibuster: A Senate tactic of prolonging debate to delay or block a vote on a bill, which can be ended by a cloture vote of 60 senators.
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What it means
Because Senate rules allow extended debate, a minority of senators can prevent a bill from coming to a vote unless three-fifths of the Senate votes for cloture. The House has no equivalent because its rules limit debate.
The filibuster gives the minority party significant power and is a frequent subject of debate about Senate rules.
Example
A bill supported by 55 senators may still fail if opponents filibuster and the majority cannot reach 60 votes for cloture.
On the exam
The filibuster appears in Unit 2 questions comparing the House and Senate.