A filibuster is a legislative tactic used in some bodies, notably the U.S. Senate, to delay or block a vote on a proposed measure by extending debate or using procedural maneuvers. It functions as a way for a minority or individual lawmakers to influence or derail legislation by preventing timely action, often requiring a specific number of votes to overcome. How it works in practice

• Basic idea: A senator or group of senators takes the floor to keep talking or uses procedural stalling moves to prevent a bill from reaching a final vote.
• Ending a filibuster: In the modern U.S. Senate, most debates can be curtailed through a cloture vote, which requires a supermajority (historically 60 votes) to limit further debate and proceed to a vote on the measure.
• Why it matters: The filibuster can protect minority interests by ensuring broad consensus for legislation, but it can also lead to gridlock if 60 votes are unavailable for most measures.
• Variations and reforms: Over time, rules and practices around cloture, time limits, and special procedures for certain types of business (like nominations) have evolved, prompting ongoing debates about reform or elimination in some policy communities.

Key points to understand

• It is a procedural tool, not a specific law or rule about content; it emerges from Senate rules and traditions.
• It does not necessarily require a formal speech; signaling the intention to filibuster and delaying actions can be enough to stall progress.
• The threshold to end debate (cloture) has historically been 60 votes, but some contexts or reforms seek to modify this threshold or apply different rules to particular areas of business.

If you’d like, I can tailor this to a specific country’s system or provide a concise timeline of notable filibuster events in U.S. history.