In May 1912 the United States Congress approved a proposal for direct election of the members of the United States Senate. Until then, according to the United States Constitution, members of the...Show moreIn May 1912 the United States Congress approved a proposal for direct election of the members of the United States Senate. Until then, according to the United States Constitution, members of the Senate were chosen by the State Legislatures. The new procedure was laid down in the Seventeenth Amendment and became effective May 31, 1913. This thesis goes into the history of the Seventeenth Amendment and its influence on the standing and image of the Senate after 1913.Show less