The 17th Amendment: The Case for RepealHave you ever wondered what would happen if your worst fears came true? For the founding father and the architects of the American Constitution, these fears became reality. What was originally intended to be the foundation of our country and the law of the land; has now been edited and removed. Ratification of the 17th Amendment changed the nation's political landscape and weakened the U.S. Constitution by allowing senators to be elected directly by popular vote rather than by the state legislatures they represent. This amendment was a byproduct of the progressive Democratic movement. Some believed it would correct procedural problems and perceived political corruption associated with the election of state senators to Congress. The Amendment was presented as a permanent solution to these problems and would ultimately result in making politics and the political process more accessible to the average citizen. However, the 17th Amendment failed to deliver on its promise and produced a Senate even less responsive to voters, even more corrupted by its campaign contributions and allegiances to big business and special interest groups, and incapable of truly represent the interests of citizens. the states. Additionally, the 17th Amendment removed a crucial check and balance that had been deliberately built into the Constitution in order to preserve state rights and prevent the abuse of federal powers. The 17th Amendment should be repealed in order to restore the intended state power and sovereignty, preserve the original federal system of distribution of powers, and prevent the spread of abusive federal powers.The OriginsThe Founding Fathers and the Framework. .... middle of paper ......finished, and prevent further abuses by the national government. Works Cited Hoebeke, CH (1995). The Road to Mass Democracy: The Original Intent and the Seventeenth Amendment. New Brunswick (United States): Transaction Publishers. Levin, M.R. (2013). The Liberty Amendments: Restoring the American Republic. New York: Threshold Editions. Rossum, R.A. (2001). Federalism, the Supreme Court, and the Seventeenth Amendment: The Irony of Constitutional Democracy. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books. Story, J. (1987). Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press. Zywicki, T. (1997). Beyond the Shell and Shroud of History: The History of the Seventeenth Amendment and Its Implications for Current Reform Proposals. Cleveland State Law Review, 45, 197. Accessed October 3, 2013, from http://mason.gmu.edu/~tzywick2/Cleveland%20State%20Senators.pdf