ABSTRACT
The Seventeenth Amendment, adopted in 1913, altered the method for choosing senators from selection by state legislatures to direct election by the people of each state. This amendment to the Constitution affected one of the most fundamental transformations of US governmental institutions and strengthened participation by individuals in the political process. The Seventeenth Amendment was referred to the states after passing the Senate on June 12, 1911 and the House on May 13, 1912. The amendment achieved constitutional status when Connecticut became the thirty- sixth state to approve it April 8, 1913. Prior to the Seventeenth Amendment, Republicans enjoyed electoral advantages in the Senate compared with the popularly elected House as the result of malapportioned state legislatures. A view sees the Seventeenth Amendment as the result of interest group activity. This perspective characterizes the western insurgents in the Senate as an interest group rather than as part of the progressive movement.
