Tag / filibuster
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Mr. Smith Threatens to go to Washington
BY SERENA LEKAWA By definition, ‘filibuster’ is an informal term for an attempt to block or slow down a Senate action or bill by refusing to finish debating it. The origins of this quirky tool are not found in the Constitution, but rather in the perversion of a loophole in the Senate rulebook. Originally, the…
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False Rumors of the Democratic Demise
Depending on where you get your news, this upcoming Congressional election is, well, up in the air. CNN Headline News, after showing a number of highly relevant YouTube videos, will likely give a BREAKING NEWS update about how the election looks like a potential disaster. Glenn Beck of Fox News will probably pull out his…
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On the Election of Scott Brown
Emily tilted her head back and glanced out the windows of the library, before she began to read her textbook for her Political Economy of Democracy class. Ah, to be back at Wash U.. Emily thought to herself, as she highlighted the major tenets of that night’s assigned reading. She had truly enjoyed vacationing with…
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Finding a Filibuster that Works
Ever since its inception, the filibuster has been the subject of criticism and concern. However, despite concerns that the bill-blocking tactic is a simple manipulation of procedure, most had viewed the filibuster as a consensus building tool in the spirit of our governments founding. (Remember all that cool stuff about separation of powers and checks…
