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The phrase "'''nuclear option'''" can mean any strategy or tactic that risks creating more problems than it solves, and especially one that risks making implacable enemies.

In the [[United States Senate]], the '''nuclear''' or '''constitutional option''' is when the presiding officer disregards a rule or precedent. The matter then goes to the full senate, which decides by majority vote. In this way, the Senate majority may override a requirement for a supermajority. In general, the presiding officer follows Senate precedent as interpreted by the parliamentarian. Unlike the speaker of the House, he rarely uses his discretionary power. The nuclear option was used for the first time in 1975 to reform the filibuster, and it was used again in November 2013.

 

It most common application applies to parliamentary maneuvers, especially in a legislative body like the [[United States Senate]].