logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2022
51m 30s

Pirates of the Senate

NPR
About this episode
The fight over the filibuster brings up some deeper questions that we as a country are facing. How do we make space for disagreement without ending up at a stalemate? Can we use the tools given to us by previous generations without turning them into weapons? And how do we decide which parts of our system should be changed – and when it's time to change? The filibuster can hold legislation hostage, stop bills from ever reaching the Senate floor, and lead to hours-long speeches in Congress, but it can be hard to understand what a filibuster actually is, why we have it, and how it impacts the country. In this episode, we look at how the ongoing battle over the filibuster's future is in some ways a battle over its past.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Today
The billionaires' utopia blueprint
Starbase. Prospera. California Forever. Mars. From private cities to interstellar colonies, tech billionaires like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel have backed experiments designed to operate beyond the borders — and laws — most of us live by. So we wondered: has this happened before? I ... Show More
48m 34s
Apr 21
Why the wall was built
As the United States expanded into a global superpower, it simultaneously strengthened its national borders and began to limit who could come in and out of the country. In this week’s episode, the story of how one of the very first walls meant to divide people was built on the US ... Show More
13m 13s
Apr 16
The original clickbait king
When we call something "clickbait," we don't mean it as a compliment. But let's be real: we also click. It's hard to resist a spicy story, and 19th-century newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst knew it. At a time when most papers merely reported events, his papers created them ... Show More
48m 11s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2021
Is It Time to Abolish the Filibuster?
<p>The filibuster is one of the better-known bits of procedure in the Senate. It might conjure images of politicians droning on for hours, or simply partisan gridlock, but the rule has an insidious, racial history. Senators have used it as a tool to block civil rights legislation ... Show More
29m 16s
Jul 2022
The Filibuster - If You Don’t Know, Now You Know
The Senate filibuster is one of the biggest things standing in the way of anti-voter suppression laws, raising the minimum wage and immigration reform. What is this loophole, and how does it affect governing today? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more a ... Show More
13m 4s
Aug 2022
What's The Difference Between The House & The Senate?
The House and the Senate have mostly the same powers: they both propose and vote on bills that may become law. So why does the House have 435 members, and the Senate have 100? Why does legislation have to pass through both sides, and what kinds of power do each have individually? ... Show More
34m 24s
Dec 2020
Best of: Frances Lee on why bipartisanship is irrational
There are few conversations I’ve had on this show that are quite as relevant to our current political moment as this one with Princeton political scientist Frances Lee. Joe Biden will occupy the White House come January, but pending the results of two runoff Senate elections in G ... Show More
59m 21s
Jan 2022
Senate Showdown Over Voting Rights
Senate Democrats are trying to pass legislation today on a big priority for the party: voting rights. However, Republicans are expected to block it, once again. CNN Congressional Reporter Daniella Diaz breaks down the debates today from both sides of the aisle over the legislatio ... Show More
9m 2s
May 2022
Reconstruction IV: Voting Rights At Last
May 26, 1965. One hundred years after the Civil War, Congress is debating a bill whose goal is to enforce the 15th amendment, which, in 1870, promised the right to vote regardless of race. But that’s not what happened. Now the Civil Rights movement is saying: It’s time to make re ... Show More
44 m
Sep 2020
America’s Hidden Duopoly (Ep. 356 Rebroadcast)
<p>We all know our political system is “broken” — but what if that’s not true? Some say the Republicans and Democrats constitute a wildly successful industry that has colluded to kill off competition, stifle reform, and drive the country apart. So what are you going to do about i ... Show More
53 m
Jul 2019
America’s Hidden Duopoly (Rebroadcast)
<p>We all know our political system is “broken” — but what if that’s not true? Some say the Republicans and Democrats constitute a wildly successful industry that has colluded to kill off competition, stifle reform, and drive the country apart. So what are you going to do about i ... Show More
52m 55s