Malcolm Rivera
The original U.S. Constitution, as adopted in 1788, stated that senators would be elected by state legislatures. The first proposal to amend the Constitution to elect senators by popular vote was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1826, but the idea did not gain considerable support until the late 19th century when several problems related to Senate elections had become evident. On April 8, 1913, three-quarters of the states had ratified the proposed 17th Amendment, and it was officially included in the Constitution, allowing voters to cast direct votes for U.S. senators.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of Amendment | 1913 |
| Amendment Number | 17 |
| Previous System | Senators were chosen by state legislatures |
| New System | Senators are elected directly by the voting public |
| Proposal | House Joint Resolution 39 |
| Proposer | Senator Joseph L. Bristow (R-KS) |
| Proposal Year | 1911 |
| Ratification Year | 1913 |
| Ratification Date | April 8, 1913 |
| Number of States Required for Ratification | 36 |
| Number of States that Ratified | 36 |
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What You'll Learn
- The original 1788 Constitution stated that senators would be elected by state legislatures
- The 17th Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1913, allowed voters to directly elect senators
- The 17th Amendment overrides the original Constitution's provisions on the election of senators
- The first proposal to amend the Constitution to allow direct election of senators was introduced in 1826
- The 17th Amendment faced legal disputes in 1991 and recent controversies have emerged with advocates for a repeal
The original 1788 Constitution stated that senators would be elected by state legislatures
The original US Constitution, as adopted in 1788, stated that senators would be elected by state legislatures. This was a compromise between the need to give states a sense of authority and legitimacy in selecting their federal representatives, and the desire to have a body of leaders in the Senate who were independent of the House of Representatives. James Madison, one of the primary authors of the Constitution, supported the former view, while the latter argument was put forward by Wendell Pierce.
The Constitution's authors did not intend for senators to be directly elected by the people. However, as early as 1826, resolutions calling for direct popular election of senators appeared in the House of Representatives. These proposals did not succeed, and Congress passed a law in 1866 to regulate the time and procedure for electing senators, while still leaving election by state legislatures intact.
In the late 19th century, several problems related to Senate elections became evident, and support for direct election grew. Disputes among state legislators over Senate elections resulted in numerous deadlocks, leaving some Senate seats vacant for long periods. In other cases, political machines gained control over state legislatures, and the senators elected with their support were seen as puppets. The Senate was also viewed as a "'millionaire's club' serving powerful private interests, and the rise of the Populist Party added motivation for making the Senate more directly accountable to the people.
In 1910, 31 state legislatures had passed resolutions calling for a constitutional amendment allowing direct election, and in 1911, the House of Representatives passed House Joint Resolution 39 proposing such an amendment. On April 8, 1913, three-quarters of the states had ratified the proposed amendment, and it was officially included as the 17th Amendment to the Constitution.
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The 17th Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1913, allowed voters to directly elect senators
The original U.S. Constitution, as adopted in 1788, stated that senators would be elected by state legislatures. The first proposal to amend the Constitution to elect senators by popular vote was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1826. However, the idea did not gain widespread support until the late 19th century when several issues with Senate elections became evident.
One of the main problems was that state legislatures frequently deadlocked over the election of senators, resulting in Senate seats being vacant for extended periods. This issue was exacerbated by the rise of political machines, which gained control of state legislatures and led to concerns about senators being influenced by special interests. The Senate was also viewed as a "millionaire's club", serving the interests of the wealthy and powerful rather than the people.
In 1910, William Randolph Hearst, a proponent of direct election, hired novelist David Graham Phillips to write a series of articles on the subject. Published in Cosmopolitan magazine, "The Treason of the Senate" offered a critical and fictionalised account of senators as puppets of industrialists and financiers. This further galvanised public support for reform.
In 1911, Senator Joseph Bristow of Kansas offered a Senate resolution to amend the Constitution, and the House of Representatives passed House Joint Resolution 39 proposing a constitutional amendment for the direct election of senators. On April 8, 1913, the 17th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, allowing voters to directly elect senators. This amendment modified Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution and gave voters the power to cast direct votes for U.S. senators, replacing the previous system where senators were chosen by state legislatures.
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The 17th Amendment overrides the original Constitution's provisions on the election of senators
The original US Constitution, as adopted in 1788, stated that senators would be elected by state legislatures. The 17th Amendment, passed in 1913, modified Article I, Section 3, of the Constitution by allowing voters to cast direct votes for US senators. The amendment overrides the original Constitution's provisions on the election of senators by replacing the phrase "chosen by the Legislature thereof" with "elected by the people thereof".
The 17th Amendment provides for the direct election of senators by the people of each state. This was a significant change from the original Constitution, which provided for the election of senators by state legislatures. The amendment was a response to growing concerns about legislative corruption and electoral deadlocks. There was a perception that senatorial elections were "bought and sold", with senators seen as puppets of industrialists and financiers.
The first proposal to amend the Constitution to provide for the direct election of senators was introduced in the US House of Representatives in 1826, but it did not gain widespread support until the late 19th century when problems with Senate elections became more evident. Disputes among state legislators over Senate elections resulted in numerous deadlocks, leaving some Senate seats vacant for extended periods.
The 17th Amendment also alters the procedure for filling vacancies in the Senate. It allows state legislatures to empower their governors or executive authorities to make temporary appointments until a special election can be held. This provision ensures that Senate vacancies are filled promptly and that the will of the people is respected even when unforeseen circumstances arise.
The 17th Amendment was proposed by the 62nd Congress in 1912 and ratified by three-quarters of the state legislatures on April 8, 1913. It marked a significant shift in the way senators were elected, giving voters a more direct say in the process and addressing concerns about corruption and deadlocks.
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The first proposal to amend the Constitution to allow direct election of senators was introduced in 1826
The Constitution, as it was adopted in 1788, stated that senators would be elected by state legislatures. The first proposal to amend the Constitution to allow direct election by popular vote was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1826. However, the idea did not gain considerable support until the late 19th century, when several problems related to Senate elections had become evident.
In the late 19th century, several state legislatures deadlocked over the election of senators, resulting in Senate vacancies lasting months and even years. This led to concerns about the Senate being viewed as a "millionaire's club" serving powerful private interests, and the rise of the Populist Party further motivated the push for the Senate to be more directly accountable to the people. During the 1890s, the House of Representatives passed several resolutions proposing a constitutional amendment for direct election, but the Senate refused to vote on them.
In 1906, publisher William Randolph Hearst hired novelist David Graham Phillips to write a series of articles titled "The Treason of the Senate," which offered an unsympathetic and largely fictionalized account of senators as pawns of industrialists and financiers. The articles galvanized public support for reform, and in 1911, Senator Joseph Bristow of Kansas offered a Senate resolution to amend the Constitution. The House of Representatives passed House Joint Resolution 39 proposing a constitutional amendment for direct election of senators, but it included a "race rider" meant to bar federal intervention in cases of racial discrimination among voters. This "race rider" was removed by Senator Joseph L. Bristow (R-KS), and the amended Joint Resolution was adopted by the Senate in May 1911. The House accepted the change in 1912, and the amendment was sent to the states for ratification.
On April 8, 1913, three-quarters of the states had ratified the proposed amendment, and it was officially included as the 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, allowing voters to cast direct votes for U.S. senators.
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The 17th Amendment faced legal disputes in 1991 and recent controversies have emerged with advocates for a repeal
The Seventeenth Amendment (Amendment XVII) to the United States Constitution, which came into effect in 1913, established the direct election of senators by the people of each state. This replaced the previous system, outlined in Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution, where senators were elected by state legislatures.
The 17th Amendment faced opposition from several influential senators, who managed to delay its passage for over two decades. Despite this, the amendment was eventually passed by both Houses in 1912 and ratified by three-quarters of the states in 1913. The amendment was a significant change to the structure of Congress and was motivated by problems with the previous system, including deadlocked state legislatures and the influence of corruption.
In 1991, controversies emerged regarding the appointment of senators by governors, specifically those made by Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich and New York governor David Paterson. This led to renewed calls for the repeal of the 17th Amendment, with some arguing that it would protect states' rights and reduce the power of the federal government.
While the 17th Amendment has faced legal disputes and calls for repeal, it remains the only major change to the structure of Congress and has provided for the direct election of senators by the people for over a century. The amendment addressed issues with the previous system, such as deadlocks and the influence of corruption, and it is unlikely that a repeal would gain widespread support.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the original Constitution did not allow the people to elect senators.
Before the 17th Amendment, senators were chosen by state legislatures.
The 17th Amendment was passed on April 8, 1913.
The 17th Amendment modified Article I, Section 3, of the Constitution by allowing voters to cast direct votes for US senators.
The 17th Amendment was passed due to problems with the system of electing senators, including electoral deadlocks, corruption, and the influence of special interests.
