Which amendment established the direct election of U.S. senators, expanding democracy?

Which amendment established the direct election of U.S. senators, expanding democracy?

• A. Nineteenth Amendment
• B. Seventeenth Amendment
• C. Fifteenth Amendment
• D. Twentieth Amendment

Answer: (B)

Shifting power toward the people by changing how senators are chosen marks a move to expand democracy and popular sovereignty. Previously, state legislatures elected U.S. senators, which could be influenced by political bargaining, corruption, or deadlocks that prevented timely appointments. The Seventeenth Amendment, ratified in 1913, requires that senators be elected directly by voters in each state. This makes the Senate more responsive to citizens and reduces the leverage of state legislatures and political machines. Context helps: the other amendments mentioned adjust who can vote or how government operates but don’t change the method of selecting senators. The Nineteenth Amendment extends suffrage to women, the Fifteenth prohibits denying the vote on the basis of race, and the Twentieth sets terms and sessions. The key idea here is transferring the Senate selection from state legislatures to the voters, broadening democratic participation.

Shifting power toward the people by changing how senators are chosen marks a move to expand democracy and popular sovereignty. Previously, state legislatures elected U.S. senators, which could be influenced by political bargaining, corruption, or deadlocks that prevented timely appointments. The Seventeenth Amendment, ratified in 1913, requires that senators be elected directly by voters in each state. This makes the Senate more responsive to citizens and reduces the leverage of state legislatures and political machines.

Context helps: the other amendments mentioned adjust who can vote or how government operates but don’t change the method of selecting senators. The Nineteenth Amendment extends suffrage to women, the Fifteenth prohibits denying the vote on the basis of race, and the Twentieth sets terms and sessions. The key idea here is transferring the Senate selection from state legislatures to the voters, broadening democratic participation.