What was the 17th Amendment in simple terms?

Seventeenth Amendment, amendment (1913) to the Constitution of the United States that provided for the direct election of U.S. senators by the voters of the states. … 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.

What does the 17th Amendment mean for dummies?

An amendment is simply a change to the Constitution. In 1913, the 17th Amendment gave people the right to vote for their senators instead of the state legislature, this is called direct election, where the people choose who is in office.

What did the 17th Amendment do?

The Seventeenth Amendment restates the first paragraph of Article I, section 3 of the Constitution and provides for the election of senators by replacing the phrase “chosen by the Legislature thereof” with “elected by the people thereof.” In addition, it allows the governor or executive authority of each state, if …

What is the 17th Amendment in kid terms?

The Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified on April 8, 1913. It said that United States Senators would now be directly elected by popular vote. … It took the power to appoint Senators from the state legislatures and gave that power directly to the voters in each state.

What is the 17th Amendment your answer?

The Seventeenth Amendment restates the first paragraph of Article I, section 3 of the Constitution and provides for the election of senators by replacing the phrase “chosen by the Legislature thereof” with “elected by the people thereof.” In addition, it allows the governor or executive authority of each state, if …

What is the 17th Amendment in simple terms quizlet?

17th Amendment. Passed in 1913, this amendment to the Constitution calls for the direct election of senators by the voters instead of their election by state legislatures.

Why was the 17th Amendment needed?

Proponents of the Amendment argued that removing from state legislatures the power to choose U.S. Senators would make state democracy work better, allowing voters to focus on state issues when choosing state officials.

What was the purpose of the Seventeenth Amendment and what arguments were made for and against its passage?

What was the purpose of the Seventeenth Amendment, and what arguments were made for and against its passage? The purpose for the Seventeenth Amendment was to allow the the direct election of U.S senators by the citizens. For what two reasons did Thomas Jefferson want to buy the Louisiana Territory?

Why was the 17th Amendment important in the Progressive Era?

The Progressive Era (1900-1920) was a period of political, economic, and social reform in the United States. … The 17th Amendment helped eliminate corruption and reduce the influence of political machines by allowing Americans to directly elect U.S. senators.

What is the 17th Amendment word for word?

Seventeenth Amendment. The Seventeenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads: 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.

How did the 17th amendment affect society?

The Seventeenth Amendment altered the process for electing United States senators and changed the way vacancies would be filled. … With direct election, each vote represented equally, and the Democrats retained control of the Senate.

What do the amendments mean?

1a : the process of altering or amending a law or document (such as a constitution) by parliamentary or constitutional procedure rights that were granted by amendment of the Constitution. b : an alteration proposed or effected by this process a constitutional amendment. 2 : the act of amending something : correction.

Why was the 17th amendment created quizlet?

The 17th amendment changed the way senators were selected. Before the 17th amendment senators were selected by state legislatures, that allowed party bosses too much influence. The 17th amendment allowed voters of each state to directly elect their senators. … This amendment gave women the right to vote.

Who was the president during the 17th amendment?

Constitutional Amendments – President Wilson House.

Was the 17th amendment a formal or informal change to the Constitution?

Finally, in 1919, the proposed amendment was approved by a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate. So it became a formal proposal to amend the Constitution and was sent to the states on June 4, 1919.