What legislative strategy involves delaying or blocking a vote by prolonged speechmaking?

The legislative strategy that involves delaying or blocking a vote by prolonged speechmaking is known as a filibuster. This tactic is often employed in the U.S. Senate when a senator or a group of senators talks for an extended period of time in order to prevent a bill from being brought to a vote. The intent behind a filibuster is to extend debate on the proposed legislation, thereby postponing the final decision on it.

Filibusters are significant in the legislative process because they leverage the rules of the Senate, which allows for unlimited debate unless a certain voting threshold is met to invoke cloture. Cloture itself is a mechanism that can end a filibuster by limiting further debate and forcing a vote, but until that happens, the filibustering senator can speak indefinitely. This has made the filibuster a powerful tool for the minority party to influence legislation and draw attention to particular issues.

Other options, while relevant to legislative procedures, do not capture the essence of prolonged speechmaking aimed at blocking a vote. Logrolling refers to the practice of exchanging favors, particularly in the form of voting for each other's proposals, the whip system is about party coordination and securing votes, and cloture specifically deals with ending debate rather than initiating