Obstructionism is the practice of deliberately delaying or preventing a process or change, especially in politics.

As workplace aggression

An obstructionist causes problems. Neuman and Baron (1998) identify obstructionism as one of the three dimensions that encompass the range of

workplace aggression Workplace aggression is a specific type of aggression which occurs in the workplace. Workplace aggression can include a wide range of behaviors, ranging from verbal acts (e.g., insulting someone or spreading rumors) to physical attacks (e.g., punch ...

. In this context, obstructionism is "behaviors intended to hinder an employee from performing their job or the organization from accomplishing its objectives".

In politics

John O'Connor Power Vanity Fair 25 December 1886

Obstructionism or policy of obstruction denotes the deliberate interference with the progress of a legislation by various means such as filibustering or slow walking which may depend on the respective parliamentary procedures.

As political strategy

Obstructionism can also take the form of widespread agreement to oppose policies from the other side of a political debate or dispute.

Mass media

In September 2010, Jon Stewart of ''

The Daily Show ''The Daily Show'' is an American late-night talk and satirical news television program. It airs each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central with release shortly after on Paramount+. ''The Daily Show'' draws its comedy and satire form from ...

'' announced the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, an event dedicated to ending political obstructionism in American

mass media Mass media refers to a diverse array of media technologies that reach a large audience via mass communication. The technologies through which this communication takes place include a variety of outlets. Broadcast media transmit informati ...

Tactics

The most common tactic is the filibuster which consists of extending the debate upon a proposal in order to delay or completely prevent a vote on its passage. Another form of parliamentary obstruction practiced in the United States and other countries is called "slow walking". It specifically refers to the extremely slow speed with which legislators walk to the podium to cast their ballots. For example, in Japan this tactic is known as a "cow walk", and in Hawaii it's known as a "Devil's Gambit". Consequently, slow walking is also used as a synonym for obstructionism itself.

Notable obstructionists

John O'Connor Power, Joe Biggar,Movement for Reform – 1870–1914, © M.E. Collins 2004; The Educational Company (Edco)

Frank Hugh O'Donnell Frank Hugh O'Donnell (also Frank Hugh O'Cahan O'Donnell), born Francis Hugh MacDonald (9 October 1846 – 2 November 1916) was an Irish writer, journalist and nationalist politician. Early life O'Donnell was born in an army barracks in Devon, E ...

, and

Charles Stewart Parnell Charles Stewart Parnell (27 June 1846 – 6 October 1891) was an Irish nationalist politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1875 to 1891, also acting as Leader of the Home Rule League from 1880 to 1882 and then Leader of the ...

Irish nationalists Irish nationalism is a nationalist political movement which, in its broadest sense, asserts that the people of Ireland should govern Ireland as a sovereign state. Since the mid-19th century, Irish nationalism has largely taken the form of cu ...

; all were famous for making long speeches in the British House of Commons. In a letter to Cardinal Cullen, 6 August 1877, The O'Donoghue, MP for County Kerry, denounced the obstruction policy: "It is Fenianism in a new form." The tactic deadlocked legislation and 'the autumn Session of 1882 was entirely devoted to the reform of the Rules of Procedure with a view to facilitating the despatch of business.' Sir Leslie Ward's "Spy" cartoon of John O'Connor Power appeared in ''Vanity Fair''s "Men of the Day" series, 25 December 1886, and was captioned "the brains of Obstruction". A recent example is

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

Mitch McConnell. The

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

from

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

has gained notoriety for orchestrating numerous filibusters of federal judge nominations as Senate Minority Leader (2007-15, 2021-), and for repeatedly blocking such nominations as Majority Leader (2015-21). He has bragged about his obstructionism, referring to himself as the "

Grim Reaper Death is frequently imagined as a personified force. In some mythologies, a character known as the Grim Reaper (usually depicted as a berobed skeleton wielding a scythe) causes the victim's death by coming to collect that person's soul. Other b ...

" of the Democratic agenda. He called the successful block of the

Merrick Garland Supreme Court nomination On March 16, 2016, President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States to succeed Antonin Scalia, who had died one month earlier. At the time of his nomination, Garland was the Chief ...

"one of the happiest nights of isSenate career". According to former President Barack Obama, in one meeting between Vice President Joe Biden and McConnell about a piece of legislation blocked by the latter, McConnell stopped Biden's explanation of the merits of the bill, saying "you must be under the mistaken impression that I care".

References

{{IRB Human behavior Political philosophy Ethically disputed political practices Abuse of the legal system