The 17th Amendment (popular election of U.S. Senators) was passed in the name of democracy: Senators should be elected by the people they represent, not be appointed by partisan state legislatures. Unfortunately, this has turned this body into a forum for national special interests, rather than representing individual states. Now, campaign contributions flow in from across the country, as a battle for political party control has assumed paramount importance. As a result, the very reason for having a Senate at all (state representation) has been all but extinguished.
Under the current system, why should the voters of one particular state have up to 100 times the proportionate representation of voters in another state? The entire premise of creating the Senate in the first place was to insure that individual state interests were equally represented in the federal legislature. What better way to determine those interests other than to have them decided by those states' elected legislatures?
The only beneficial aspect of popular election of Senators is that that their districts are not subject to gerrymandering. However, this is part of a much larger issue than merely Senatorial selection. The basic question is whether we want to retain a modicum of individual state representation at the federal level, or do we want a system based purely on rule by a majority of popular votes? If the latter, why even have a Senate whose disproportionate representation violates this principle?
Today, the U.S. Senate is little more than a procedural roadblock wherein a minority of Senators can demand payoffs to their special interests as the price for allowing legislation to proceed through legitimate channels. Isn't it time to repeal the 17th Amendment and return the Senate to its Constitutional role?
Under the current system, why should the voters of one particular state have up to 100 times the proportionate representation of voters in another state? The entire premise of creating the Senate in the first place was to insure that individual state interests were equally represented in the federal legislature. What better way to determine those interests other than to have them decided by those states' elected legislatures?
The only beneficial aspect of popular election of Senators is that that their districts are not subject to gerrymandering. However, this is part of a much larger issue than merely Senatorial selection. The basic question is whether we want to retain a modicum of individual state representation at the federal level, or do we want a system based purely on rule by a majority of popular votes? If the latter, why even have a Senate whose disproportionate representation violates this principle?
Today, the U.S. Senate is little more than a procedural roadblock wherein a minority of Senators can demand payoffs to their special interests as the price for allowing legislation to proceed through legitimate channels. Isn't it time to repeal the 17th Amendment and return the Senate to its Constitutional role?
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