Which of the following best describes the purpose of a filibuster?

• A. A formal vote in the Senate occurs immediately.
• B. A court procedure to strike down a law.
• C. Senate's power to 'talk a bill to death' to stall the vote.
• D. A method to accelerate legislation.

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is that a filibuster is a tactic used in the Senate to delay or derail action on a bill by prolonging debate. It’s about blocking progress, not rushing it. That’s exactly what the phrase “talk a bill to death” captures, showing how it stalls the vote rather than moves it forward.

So the best description is the Senate’s power to talk a bill to death to stall the vote. The other statements don’t fit because they describe outcomes that aren’t what a filibuster does: an immediate vote would be the opposite of a filibuster, a court procedure is unrelated to the legislative process, and accelerating legislation is the opposite effect of using a filibuster.