The 17th Amendment: The Case for Repeal

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The 17th Amendment: The Case for Repeal
Have you ever wondered what would happen if your worst fears became reality? For the founding father and crafters of the U.S. Constitution those fears have come to roost. What was originally designed to be the foundation of our country, and the law of the land; has now been amended out of existence. The ratification of the 17th Amendment changed the country’s political landscape and weakened the U.S. Constitution by allowing Senators to be directly elected by popular vote instead of by the legislatures of the states they represent. This Amendment was a byproduct of the Democratic Progressive movement. It was believed by some that it would correct the procedural issues and perceived political corruption associated with the election of state Senators to Congress. The Amendment was touted as a permanent solution to these problems, and would ultimately result in making politics and the political process more accessible to the average citizen. However, the 17th Amendment has failed to deliver on its promises, and has produced a Senate that is even less responsive to voters, even more corrupt with campaign contributions and allegiances to large corporations and special interest groups, and fails to truly represent the interests of the states. Moreover, the 17th Amendment removed a crucial check and balance that was purposely designed into the Constitution in order to preserve state’s rights and prevent the abuse of federal powers. The 17th Amendment should be repealed in order to restore the intended power and sovereignty of the state, preserve the original federal distributive powers system, and to prevent the spread of abusive federal powers.

The Origins
The founding fathers and fra...

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...ended, and prevent further abuses by the national government.

Works Cited

Hoebeke, C. H. (1995). The road to mass democracy: original intent and the Seventeenth Amendment. New Brunswick (U.S.A): Transaction Publishers.
Levin, M. R. (2013). The liberty amendments: restoring the American republic. New York: Threshold Editions.
Rossum, R. A. (2001). Federalism, the Supreme Court, and the Seventeenth Amendment: the irony of constitutional democracy. Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books.
Story, J. (1987). Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States. Durham, N.C.: Carolina Academic Press.
Zywicki, T. (1997). Beyond the Shell and Husk of History: The History of the Seventeenth Amendment and Its Implications for Current reform Proposals. Cleveland State Law Review, 45, 197. Retrieved October 3, 2013, from http://mason.gmu.edu/~tzywick2/Cleveland%20State%20Senators.pdf

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