23 Jun The Senate and the Filibuster
Order Instructions
In Part 1 of Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate, Adam Jentleson discusses the organizational history of the U.S. Senate as an institution from the 1800’s to the 1960s — focusing, among other things, on the role of politics around race, racism, and slavery, and how these affected the establishment of Senate rules and practices.
For this week’s discussion board, please comment broadly on Part 1 of the book:
1. What did you learn about the history of the Senate that you did not know?
2. Please pick one era covered on Part 1 and comment on the issue of race/racism and how it affected the construction and application of Senate rules and practices, such as the filibuster.
Sources:
Jentleson, Adam (2021). Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate and the Crippling of American
Democracy.
Video:
