A Conservative Case for the Filibuster

Laura Dove, A Conservative Case for the Filibuster, American Enterprise Institute, January 20026.

“A Conservative Case for the Filibuster” argues that the filibuster is essential to preserving the Senate’s constitutional, anti-majoritarian role. She describes the filibuster as a mechanism that forces deliberation, encourages bipartisan cooperation, and prevents rapid swings in federal policy driven by narrow partisan majorities. Dove emphasizes that the Senate was designed to cool political passions and protect minority viewpoints, and the filibuster is one of the few means to accomplishes those goals. Eliminating it, she warns, would centralize power in the majority party, weaken the Senate’s distinct identity, and make federal law less stable over time as each new majority would reverse the policies of the previous majority.