Final answer:
A filibuster is a legislative tactic in the U.S. Senate where a senator or group of senators deliver speeches to indefinitely delay a vote on a bill, often as a form of obstruction. It requires a supermajority of 60 votes to be ended by cloture. The filibuster has historically been used for a variety of reasons, some noble and some obstructionist.
Step-by-step explanation:
A filibuster is a parliamentary maneuver used predominantly in the United States Senate to extend debate on a piece of legislation indefinitely, often with the goal of obstructing or killing the bill. Originating from the Dutch word vrijbuiter, which translates to pirate, it is fitting as the senator(s) effectively hijack the Senate floor. A senator or a group of senators can engage in a filibuster by delivering prolonged speeches and holding the floor to delay or prevent a vote on a bill. A filibuster can only be ended if a motion to close debate, known as cloture, is passed by a supermajority, which currently means 60 votes.
In the Senate's history, the filibuster has been used for various purposes, from high-profile stands on issues—like the filibuster of the Civil Rights Act—to mundane and sometimes even absurd topics. Over time, the process has evolved, and in today's legislative environment, the mere threat of a filibuster can lead to a cloture request, which in effect raises the number of votes needed for a bill to advance from a simple majority to a supermajority, thus giving significant power to the minority to obstruct legislation.