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. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures.
When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.
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.
(source)
Previous to this amendment, Senators were chosen by the legislatures of their respective state. After its ratification in 1913 (big year for amendments), Senators were to be elected by popular election instead of by the state governing bodies.
Although, given what I think of my state’s governing body which apparently took eight months to agree on a stupid budget this might have been a good idea.
In a sense, the government had actually moved closer to a true Democracy with this amendment. It’s still a representative Republic, but the population has more a say (when they take it) in what goes on.
Sokorra Lewis 
3 thoughts on “The Amendments: Seventeen”