[Mike Bates]

The popular election of senators was not a major improvement. For one thing, it reduced the power of the individual states.

[BikerNYC]

For one thing, it reduced the power of the individual states.

Don't you mean that it reduced the power of a State's elected (and, perhaps, unelected) officials who would otherwise have chosen the State's senator, and transferred that power to the State's electorate?

[justshutupandtakeit]

Only if you equate "power of individual states" with state legislatures.