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The Bill to Law Game Beta
Legislative glossary

Filibuster

Definition

A tactic to delay or block a vote by extending debate, most associated with the U.S. Senate, where ending one usually requires 60 votes.

Why it matters

The filibuster lets a minority extend debate to block a vote, famous in the U.S. Senate, where ending one effectively requires 60 of 100 votes, turning most major federal legislation into a supermajority exercise. It barely exists in most state legislatures, which is one of the big structural reasons states can pass in a season what Congress debates for a decade.

In the game

The Bill to Law Game models a state legislature, so there's no routine filibuster. The game's glossary uses it to mark exactly where statehouse procedure parts ways with what you see on national news.