Final answer:
The filibuster has become a tactic regularly used by the minority party to block proposals of the majority party. Recent reforms have weakened the filibuster, making it a less powerful tactic.
Step-by-step explanation:
The filibuster in recent years has become a tactic regularly used by the minority party to block proposals of the majority party. While it has historically been used to obstruct civil rights legislation, it is now commonly used by the minority party to prevent the advancement of legislation supported by the majority party.
Since 1975, the number of votes needed for cloture has been reduced to three-fifths or sixty votes, making it easier to end a filibuster. However, recent reforms have weakened the filibuster, making it a less powerful tactic.
Overall, the filibuster has evolved into a strategy used by the minority party to oppose the majority party's proposals and has been a subject of controversy in recent years.