What did the 17th Amendment do and who gained from it?
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.
Which party helped get the 17th Amendment passed?
the People’s Party
The rise of the People’s Party, commonly referred to as the Populist Party, added motivation for making the Senate more directly accountable to the people. During the 1890s, the House of Representatives passed several resolutions proposing a constitutional amendment for the direct election of senators.
How did the 17th amendment increased the power of the people?
The only constitutional amendment to do so in a substantial way is the Seventeenth Amendment, which removed from state legislatures the power to choose U.S. Senators and gave that power directly to voters in each state.
What did the 17th Amendment allow?
The Seventeenth Amendment restates the first paragraph of Article I, section 3 of the Constitution and provides for the election of senators by replacing the phrase “chosen by the Legislature thereof” with “elected by the people thereof.” In addition, it allows the governor or executive authority of each state, if …
What was the effect of the 17th Amendment?
What was the result of the 17th Amendment?
Ratified April 8, 1913. The 17th Amendment changed a portion of Article I, Section 3 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.
When did the seventeenth amendment pass the House?
Amendments to the Constitution providing for direct elections passed the House in each session between 1893 and 1912. But several influential Senators managed to hold off the Amendment for more than two decades.
How many states have ratified the Seventeenth Amendment?
With 36 states having ratified the Seventeenth Amendment, it was certified by Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan on May 31, 1913, as part of the Constitution. The amendment has subsequently been ratified by: Louisiana: June 11, 1914; Alabama: April 11, 2002; Delaware: July 1, 2010 (after rejecting the amendment on March 18, 1913)
What was the role of state legislatures in the Seventeenth Amendment?
State legislatures retained the theoretical right to “instruct” their senators to vote for or against proposals, thus giving the states both direct and indirect representation in the federal government.