Amendment 17

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. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures.


When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.
This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution.
This amendment made it so that US congressman are elected by a popular vote and not directly from the state legislators.



This video is pretty rediciculous. It calls for a repeal of the 17th amendment, claiming that direct election of senators somehow throws off the balance of state and federal government power, and makes it somehow easier for the federal government to force mandates that the states do not want. This argument, to me anyway, does not seem to make any sense. The ridiculous part, though, is when the video cites that this is similar to the Revolutionary War.



This is a picture before the recent midterm elections, depicting the democrats being "stomped" by the GOP and losing thier majority. The reason our midterm elections happen the way they do now, with citizens being able to cast thier vote for a senator or representative, is because of the 17th amendment.