The 17th Amendment and States Rights

The 17th Amendment and States Rights; By Marc Knauss; Red County

The question is often raised in conservative circles, “Why does the 17th Amendment matter?” and “What happened to states rights?”

The 17th Amendment was passed in 1913 to change how Senators were elected to congress. Prior to 1913, Senators were elected by State Legislators (thereby tying a Senator’s allegiance to their State rather than to national influences), with the adoption of the 17th Amendment, Senators had to be elected by popular vote, much the same as Congressional Representatives are in the House. So it is that today, most Americans see very little difference between the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The framework of our government was intended to give a voice to the people through the House of Representatives, and a voice to the States through the Senate. ...

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