5. The Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States
Until the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment, the Constitution did not provide for the direct election of Senators by the people. Instead, it required Senators to be appointed by the governors of the several states after they were elected by the legislatures. From the outset, the system was plagued with corruption and political chicanery. The power of the political machines in cities and counties across the nation was strengthened by their influence within the US Senate. Senators could and did use their office to provide political favors to state legislators, ensuring their own re-election at the end of their six-year terms.
Beginning as early as the 1820s, periodic calls to reform the election of Senators were heard, though opposition from conservatives shouted them down. Muckraking newspapers reported on incidents of bribery, paybacks, and favoritism in legislatures across the country. In the South, conservative Democrats were solidly opposed to direct election. But in 1912 the amendment calling for direct election of Senators passed in Congress and was sent to the states for ratification. Connecticut was the 36th state to ratify and the Amendment became law. In the 21st century conservative groups (including the Tea Party) continued to argue for its repeal.
