Under Donald Trump, McConnell merged the filibuster with rigid leadership structures initially forged by Lyndon Johnson, in the process surrendering the Senate's independence and centrality, as infamously shown by its acquiescence in Trump's impeachment trial. But more recently, Republicans have refined it into a tool for imposing their will on all issues, wielding it to thwart an increasingly progressive American majority represented by Barack Obama's agenda and appointees. For much of its history, the filibuster was used primarily to prevent civil rights legislation from becoming law. Yet, as Jentleson reveals, the filibuster was not a feature of the original Senate and, in allowing a determined minority to gridlock the federal government, runs utterly counter to the Framers' intent. From John Calhoun in the mid-1800s to Mitch McConnell in the 2010s, their primary weapon has been the filibuster, or the requirement that most legislation secure the support of a supermajority of senators. In 'Kill Switch', Senate insider Adam Jentleson contends that far from reflecting the Framers' vision, the Senate has been transformed over the decades by a tenacious minority of white conservatives. Once known as 'the world's greatest deliberative body,' the Senate has become one of the greatest threats to our democracy.

Presented in Partnership with League of Women Voters of ChicagoĪbout the book: Every major decision governing our diverse, majority-female, and increasingly liberal country bears the stamp of the United States Senate, an institution controlled by people who are almost exclusively white, overwhelmingly male, and disproportionately conservative. Join us for a conversation with Adam Jentleson as he discusses his book, 'Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate and the Crippling of American Democracy.' Add to iCal Add to Google Buy Tickets/RSVP Date & Time

Jentleson kill switch