Final answer:
The formal procedure for ending a filibuster in the U.S. Senate is a cloture vote, requiring a super majority of 60 votes. This evolved from Rule 22 and changed over the years to streamline legislative processes and manage the filibuster as a tactic.
Step-by-step explanation:
The formal procedure for ending a filibuster in the United States Senate is known as a 'cloture.' The cloture rule enables the Senate to end a filibuster by voting to close debate on the pending legislation. This requires a super majority vote which, after 1975, is set at three-fifths of the Senate, typically amounting to 60 votes.
In the context of the filibuster's history, the tactic has been employed for various reasons, sometimes holding the Senate floor by discussing unrelated topics to delay a bill's passage. Over the years, measures such as Rule 22 and adjustments to the cloture threshold have evolved to manage the practice.
While filibustering can be seen as a means for the minority to voice concerns or objections to legislation, it has also been a tool for obstruction. Approaches like the modern filibuster have also been developed, wherein a bill often does not even come to the floor unless there is sufficient support to meet the cloture threshold, leading to an implicit super majority requirement for the passage of most legislation.