Which amendment established the direct election of U.S. Senators?

Which amendment established the direct election of U.S. Senators?

• A. 16th
• B. 18th
• C. 17th
• D. 19th

Answer: (C)

The Seventeenth Amendment established direct election of U.S. Senators. This change shifts power from state legislatures to the people, aligning Senate selection with democratic participation rather than backroom bargains. Ratified in 1913 as part of Progressive Era reforms, it aimed to curb corruption, reduce deadlock in state legislatures, and make Senators more accountable to voters. The idea is that voters in each state directly choose their two Senators for six-year terms, with vacancies filled according to state law, often temporarily by appointment until an election. The other amendments mentioned address different reforms: one created a federal income tax, another enacted Prohibition (later repealed), and another expanded voting rights to women.

The Seventeenth Amendment established direct election of U.S. Senators. This change shifts power from state legislatures to the people, aligning Senate selection with democratic participation rather than backroom bargains. Ratified in 1913 as part of Progressive Era reforms, it aimed to curb corruption, reduce deadlock in state legislatures, and make Senators more accountable to voters. The idea is that voters in each state directly choose their two Senators for six-year terms, with vacancies filled according to state law, often temporarily by appointment until an election.

The other amendments mentioned address different reforms: one created a federal income tax, another enacted Prohibition (later repealed), and another expanded voting rights to women.