Why the 17th Amendment is important?

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The 17th amendment is important because it actually broke the United States Government and broke the balance of power between the federal government and the state governments by requiring the direct election of Senators.



Moreover, what was the purpose of the 17th Amendment?

Passed by Congress May 13, 1912, and ratified April 8, 1913, the 17th amendment modified Article I, section 3, of the Constitution by allowing voters to cast direct votes for U.S. Senators. Prior to its passage, Senators were chosen by state legislatures.

Furthermore, is the 17th Amendment good? 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators. Americans did not directly vote for senators for the first 125 years of the Federal Government. In other cases, political machines gained control over state legislatures, and the Senators elected with their support were dismissed as puppets.

In this regard, what is the 17th Amendment in simple terms?

What the 17th Amendment Means. Essentially, the 17th Amendment gives voters the power to directly elect their senators. It also states that the U.S. Senate includes two senators from each state, and that each senator has one vote in the Senate. Senators are elected for six-year terms.

How did the 17th Amendment stop corruption?

In the same way that many legislatures have eagerly handed over redistricting powers to nonpartisan commissions, they sought to outsource the selection of senators. The 17th Amendment was embraced by legislators and the public as a way to both reduce corruption and take a divisive issue off legislators' agendas.

34 Related Question Answers Found

Who beat Claire McCaskill?

On November 2, 2004, McCaskill lost to her Republican opponent, then-Secretary of State Matt Blunt in the general election by a margin of 51% to 48%. McCaskill's loss to Blunt was the first defeat in her twenty-year political career.

What was the impact of the Seventeenth Amendment What was it intended to solve?

The 17th was a direct election by popular vote. It was intended to end corruption; it also removed one of the state legislatures' checks on federal power.

How does the 17th Amendment protect citizen rights?


This amendment protects a citizen's rights by allowing them to elect their own senators as opposed to the legislature electing them, as was the original law.

What does the 19th Amendment mean?

The Nineteenth Amendment (Amendment XIX) to the United States Constitution prohibits the states and the federal government from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex.

How does the 17th Amendment affect federalism?

By altering how the Senate was elected, the Seventeenth Amendment also altered the principal mechanism employed by the framers to protect federalism. The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote.

What does the 14 Amendment say?

No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

What is Amendment 18 simplified?


noun. an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1918, prohibiting the manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcoholic beverages for consumption: repealed in 1933.

What does the 15th Amendment say?

The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted African American men the right to vote by declaring that 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." Although ratified on

What exactly does the amendment abolish what was the result?

18th Amendment. The 18th amendment is the only amendment to be repealed from the constitution. This unpopular amendment banned the sale and drinking of alcohol in the United States. This amendment took effect in 1919 and was a huge failure.

What is the 25th Amendment in simple terms?

The Twenty-fifth Amendment (Amendment XXV) to the United States Constitution says that if the President becomes unable to do their job, the Vice President becomes the President. This can happen for just a little while, if the President is just sick or disabled for a short time.

Why did progressives push for the 17th Amendment?

The Progressive Era (1900-1920) was a period of political, economic, and social reform in the United States. The 17th Amendment helped eliminate corruption and reduce the influence of political machines by allowing Americans to directly elect U.S. senators.

Why was the 18th Amendment passed?


The Eighteenth Amendment was the product of decades of efforts by the temperance movement, which held that a ban on the sale of alcohol would ameliorate poverty and other societal issues. Shortly after the amendment was ratified, Congress passed the Volstead Act to provide for the federal enforcement of Prohibition.

What amendment should be repealed?

The Twenty-first Amendment (Amendment XXI) to the United States Constitution repealed the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which had mandated nationwide Prohibition on alcohol.

How does the electoral college limit the people's ability to influence the national government?

“The Electoral College limited the people's ability to influence the national government because the state's votes are all or nothing for either the Democrat or Republican party which makes it impossible for the third parties to win presidential elections” is incorrect.