The Constitution, as it was adopted in 1788, made the Senate an assembly
where the states would have equal representation.
Passed by Congress on May 13, 1912, and ratified April 8, 1913, the 17th amendment modified Article I, section 3, of the Constitution by allowing voters to cast direct votes for U.S. Senators.
The Progressive Era (1900-1920) was a period of political, economic, and social
change in the United States. The 17th Amendment was intended to help eliminate
corruption and reduce the influence of political machines by allowing Americans to directly elect U.S. senators.
Instead the effect has been to create a larger centralized government with no accountability to the states. In the first 100 years of America 8 federal departments were created. In the 136 years since then another 43 federal departments have been established!
The 17th Amendment should be repealed. This would reinstate the states' direct link to
the federal political process and would, thereby, have the effect of elevating the
present status of the state legislatures.
Without a repeal of the 17th Amendment, the introduction of term limits would go a long way toward reducing the effect of the centralized government, by eliminating career politicians. This would allow WE THE PEOPLE to play a bigger role in our government.
It is the States that created our government, it is the states that gave up control of the government, it is the states that must to take it back.
Help us return power to the states by signing the petition at Convention of States.
