During the late 18th century, colonial assemblies captured a great deal of power from the Crown, as they seized all lawmaking authority within their respective territories. As the power struggle between the colonists and the Crown escalated, individual …show more content…
As committees expanded in size and increased in importance, an equitable mechanism was necessary for assigning members to committees, as well as appointing committee and subcommittee chairs. As a result, parties filled the void by creating a powerful leadership structure where the majority party fills leadership positions through a secret ballot vote. The majority party leader in both the House and Senate have the important role of setting the legislative agenda and determining which bills will receive consideration on the chamber floor. As a result, the minority party is subject to the will of the majority, and is nearly powerless to advance their policy agenda through the lawmaking process.
Despite the majority rule that occurs thanks to loyal party leaders, a Senate minority is not completely powerless to obstruct the majority agenda. The Senate’s long-cherished rule of unlimited debate, also known as the filibuster, allows Senators in the partisan minority to hold the floor indefinitely, until a motion for cloture is successful invoked. Because these cloture motions require 60 votes, the majority must often propose policies that will avoid a serious