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History

Legislative Filibusters and Supermajority Requirements

Quick fact

The longest single speech in U.S. Senate history lasted 24 hours and 18 minutes, delivered by Senator Strom Thurmond in 1957, yet the term 'filibuster' comes from a Dutch word for 'freebooter' or pirate.

Why this is interesting

You might think that a law passes in a democracy when more than half of the legislators vote yes. But in the U.S. Senate, a single senator can block almost anything, forcing 60 out of 100 to agree. How is that possible?