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Tracking the Filibuster, 1917 to 1996

Brookings Institution

Eric D. Lawrence

George Washington University

Steven S. Smith

Washington University

Scholars and observers of the U.S. Senate have noted an appreciable rise in the use of the filibusterover the course of the 20th century. Although numerous explanations have been offered, alternativeaccounts have never been pitted against each other in a multivariate fashion. In this article,we survey and test these multiple accounts, using data on filibusters launched between 1917 and1996. Our findings suggest that the incentive to filibuster is predictably shaped by both partisanpreferences and institutional opportunity, findings that hold even before the marked rise in partisanshipevident at late century.

Key Words: Senate • filibuster • cloture • obstructionism

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