In December 2021, Congress raised the nation’s debt ceiling by $2.5 trillion so that the federal government would not default on its financial obligations. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law, ensuring that the U.S. will make good on its fiscal commitments into 2023. However, the contentious lead-up to the bill’s passage left many questioning the effectiveness and necessity of a U.S. debt ceiling. Initially created to help constrain the nation’s borrowing, the U.S. debt ceiling defines the amount of money the U.S. government can borrow to pay its obligations, including Social Security and Medicare benefits; military and civilian…

Momentum is building to eliminate the U.S. Senate’s filibuster rule. The tactic, which dates back to the beginnings of the Senate, requires 60 votes to end debate on a bill and advance to a final vote, essentially meaning that most bills require more than a simple majority vote to pass. Increasingly, however, the filibuster has become a tool used by the minority party to stall or block the legislative agenda of the majority party. For example, Senate Republicans used the filibuster several times in 2021 to block voting rights legislation. That’s prompted increasingly serious discussion among leading Democrats — including…