Election of the Senators 17 th Amendment Friday, May 01, 2015

17th Amendment  Proposed on May 15, 1912  Ratified on May 13,

Original Method  State legislature represented the state  No laws allowing people to create bills or vote directly PA STATE LEGISLATURE US SENATE

Millionaires Club  Senate was called Millionaires Club  Served powerful private interests

New Method  People of the state elect senators by voting on election day. US SENATE

Senators Pat Toomey Casey, Robert P., Jr.

Method of Filling Vacancies Original Method New Method  State Legislatures chose person to fill vacant Senate seat.  In the 19th century, some state legislatures deadlocked over the election of a senator.  When deadlocked, a state would go without representation in the Senate. When vacancies open, the executive authority of the state selects person to finish Senate term till the next election.

Barack Obama's Senate Vacancy Scandal  Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich arrested for being accused of plotting to sell Obama’s Senate seat.

Senate Vacancy Scandal Convicted Criminals Rod Blagojevich jpg?uuid=q0qJGiDlEeGB9Ovx4U7uEg 300x300.jpg

Fixed problems  State legislature was over controlling  Too much power laid within state legislature's hands.

Why some people want to repeal 17 th Amendment  Preserve power for their part  Threat of ending unnecessary  Senate that would work to gradually reduce  Citizens would have final say  Vastly increased federal power  The state legislatures would then have the ability to decentralize power when appropriate

Federalism  Procedural problem in the original concept  Not because of a need to alter the balance of power V

Problem Led to Amendment ● The main problem was the state legislatures' right to appoint United States Senators in favor of popular election of those officials.

Problem Fixed ● Direct election of Senators by the people of a state. ● Allows governor of each state, authorized by that state's legislature, to appoint a senator in the event of an opening, until an election occurs.

Importance Today ● On a scale of one to ten, I would rate it a seven. ● America should some say in who represents them. ● One shouldn't have all of the power

Bibliography  "The 17th Amendment to the Constitution." Bookrags. N.p., Web. 11 Feb  "Calls For Complete Repeal." Wikipedia. N.p., Feb.-Mar Web. 21 Feb < Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Calls_for_complete  _repeal>.  "CRS Report for Congress." Rev. of House and Senate Vacancies: How are they filled? Senate.Gov. N.p., Jan Web. 18 Feb  "Repeal the 17th Amendment." Articlev. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb

Bibliography(Cont.)  "Simulating Repeal of the Seventeenth Amendment." Redstate. N.p., Web. 21 Feb  "The Spirit of Jefferson Lives In Virgina." Blogspot. N.p., Feb.-Mar Web. 21 Feb  "U.S. Constitution: Seventeenth Amendment." FIndLaw. N.p., Web. 18 Feb  "Why Blagojevich scandal on Senate vacancy can push us to elections, not selections." FairVote. N.p., Web. 21 Feb  "Repeal The 17th Amendment." Tenth Amendment Center. N.p., Web. 21 Feb