Which amendment established the direct election of United States Senators by the people?

Which amendment established the direct election of United States Senators by the people?

• A. The Fifteenth Amendment
• B. The Sixteenth Amendment
• C. The Seventeenth Amendment
• D. The Eighteenth Amendment

Answer: (C)

Direct election of U.S. Senators by the people is what this item tests. The Seventeenth Amendment, ratified in 1913, established that Senators are elected by the voters of each state for six-year terms, replacing the prior system in which state legislatures chose them. It also outlines how vacancies are filled, typically by an appointment by the state governor until a special election. This change was meant to make Senate representation more directly accountable to citizens and lessen opportunities for legislative gridlock or corruption. The other amendments address different ideas: the Fifteenth prohibits voting discrimination based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude; the Sixteenth allows the federal government to levy an income tax; and the Eighteenth began national Prohibition. None of these set how Senators are chosen, which is why the Seventeenth Amendment is the correct one.

Direct election of U.S. Senators by the people is what this item tests. The Seventeenth Amendment, ratified in 1913, established that Senators are elected by the voters of each state for six-year terms, replacing the prior system in which state legislatures chose them. It also outlines how vacancies are filled, typically by an appointment by the state governor until a special election. This change was meant to make Senate representation more directly accountable to citizens and lessen opportunities for legislative gridlock or corruption.

The other amendments address different ideas: the Fifteenth prohibits voting discrimination based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude; the Sixteenth allows the federal government to levy an income tax; and the Eighteenth began national Prohibition. None of these set how Senators are chosen, which is why the Seventeenth Amendment is the correct one.