Isabella Carter
The Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, ratified in 1804, is a significant example of electoral reform. This amendment was proposed to address issues with the Electoral College system, which had resulted in a tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr in the 1800 election. The Twelfth Amendment changed the process of casting electoral votes, requiring electors to vote separately for the president and vice president, and it also altered the procedure for contingent elections in Congress. In addition to this, other constitutional amendments have also played a crucial role in shaping electoral processes, such as the Fifteenth Amendment, ratified in 1870, which guaranteed the right to vote for former slaves and their descendants, and the Nineteenth Amendment, ratified in 1920, which extended the vote to women.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Amendment Number | 17 |
| Date of Ratification | April 8, 1913 |
| Changes | Senators are now elected directly by the voting public during elections. State governors can appoint temporary officials to hold vacant senate seats until a special election can be held. |
| Previous System | Senators were elected by state legislatures. |
| Reason for Change | Corruption, electoral deadlock, and populist sentiment. |
| Supporters | William Jennings Bryan, William Randolph Hearst, David Graham Phillips, Augustus Bacon, Joseph Bristow, William Borah |
| Opponents | Elihu Root, George Frisbie Hoar |
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What You'll Learn
The Seventeenth Amendment
The amendment restates the first paragraph of Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution, replacing the phrase "chosen by the Legislature thereof" with "elected by the people thereof". This change empowered voters to directly elect their senators, ensuring that senators would be accountable to the people they represent rather than state legislatures. It also allowed for temporary appointments by state governors in the event of Senate vacancies until a special election could be held.
The push for the Seventeenth Amendment gained momentum in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with reformers advocating for direct election to address the flaws in the existing system. By 1910, 31 state legislatures had passed resolutions calling for a constitutional amendment, and the same year saw ten anti-reform Republican senators lose their seats, further fuelling the reform movement. Senator Joseph Bristow of Kansas introduced a Senate resolution in 1911, which was approved by the House of Representatives and then moved to the states for ratification.
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State legislature corruption
The Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which came into effect on April 8, 1913, was a landmark piece of legislation that dealt with electoral reform. The amendment replaced the original system, outlined in Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution, in which senators were chosen by state legislatures. Instead, the Seventeenth Amendment provided for the direct election of senators by the people, with each senator being "elected by the people thereof".
The road to the Seventeenth Amendment was a long one, with reformers arguing for change as early as 1826 due to the corruption and electoral deadlocks inherent in the original system. State legislatures were seen as corrupt and arbitrary, with senators being described as pawns of industrialists and financiers. By 1910, 31 state legislatures had passed resolutions calling for a constitutional amendment allowing direct election, and the reformist cause was further galvanised by David Graham Phillips' series of articles, "The Treason of the Senate", published in 1906.
Legal and illegal corruption can take many forms, including bribery, the misuse of public funds, and illegal or immoral behaviour. Corruption undermines democracy and good governance by reducing accountability and distorting representation in policymaking. It can also have adverse effects on trust in institutions, the provision of goods and services, and the protection of social and environmental rights.
To combat corruption in state legislatures, it is important to have clear and well-defined laws and regulations in place, as well as strong oversight and accountability measures. Additionally, promoting transparency and ethical behaviour among government officials can help to reduce the incidence of corruption.
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Electoral deadlocks
The Seventeenth Amendment, which was ratified on April 8, 1913, dealt with electoral reform. The amendment overrides the previous Constitution's provisions on the election of senators, allowing for their direct election by the voting public.
One notable example of an electoral deadlock occurred in Delaware in 1895, where 217 ballots were cast over 114 days without a resolution. As a result, Delaware went unrepresented in the U.S. Senate for two years. Similar instances of deadlocks and stalemates were also observed in Indiana and other states, highlighting the need for reform in the system of electing senators.
The Seventeenth Amendment addressed electoral deadlocks by transferring the power of electing senators directly to the people. This removed the potential for legislative gridlock and ensured that Senate seats could be filled in a timely manner. The amendment also authorized state governors to appoint temporary officials to hold vacant Senate seats until special elections could be conducted, further mitigating the impact of deadlocks.
The reform was driven by a growing sentiment among reformers that the existing system lacked accountability to the people and was susceptible to corruption and special interests. By empowering the voting public to elect senators directly, the Seventeenth Amendment aimed to alleviate electoral deadlocks and enhance democratic representation in the Senate.
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Women's suffrage
The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which was passed on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, granted women the right to vote. The road to women's suffrage was long and arduous, spanning decades and generations of brave reformers who agitated, protested, lobbied, and practised civil disobedience to effect what many Americans considered a radical change to the Constitution.
The women's suffrage movement began in the mid-19th century, with the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 adopting the Declaration of Sentiments, which called for equality between the sexes and included a resolution urging women to secure the vote. Early advocates of women's suffrage included Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who formed the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) and argued for universal suffrage. They opposed the 15th Amendment, which granted Black men the right to vote, creating tensions with notable Black leaders such as Frederick Douglass.
The NWSA pursued a constitutional amendment for women's suffrage, while the rival American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) led by Julia Ward Howe, Lucy Stone, and Henry Brown Blackwell supported the 15th Amendment and gained popularity by focusing exclusively on suffrage. Despite these efforts, women's suffrage bills introduced in state legislatures during this period were largely disregarded. The movement gained renewed momentum in the early 20th century, with 22 states extending voting rights to women before 1920.
In 1916, the National Women's Party (NWP) was formed, and in 1918, a bill was introduced with President Wilson's support. The bill passed the House by a single vote and failed in the Senate by two votes. However, increasing public pressure led to lawmakers in both parties working to pass the amendment in time for the 1920 general election. The amendment was ratified by 36 states, with Tennessee casting the tie-breaking vote, allowing it to be adopted and officially become part of the U.S. Constitution on August 26, 1920.
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The Fifteenth Amendment
> "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."
Despite the significance of the Fifteenth Amendment, the right to vote was interpreted relatively narrowly by the Supreme Court throughout the late nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries. For example, in United States v. Reese (1876), the Supreme Court ruled that the Fifteenth Amendment did not grant the right to vote but rather prohibited its restriction. This interpretation led to the rise of "'Jim Crow' laws in the Southern states, which disenfranchised many black voters through discriminatory practices and laws such as poll taxes, literacy tests, and violent intimidation by the Ku Klux Klan.
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Frequently asked questions
The 15th Amendment, ratified on February 3, 1870, granted the right to vote for all male citizens regardless of their race or prior slave status.
The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, granted women the right to vote.
The 17th Amendment, ratified on April 8, 1913, changed the process of electing senators. Senators would now be elected directly by the voting public during elections, instead of being chosen by state legislatures.
The 12th Amendment, ratified on June 15, 1804, revised the procedure for electing the President and Vice President. It mandated that a distinct vote be taken for each position and that one of the candidates must not be from the same state as the elector.
