Unfortunately, with the passage of the 17th Amendment, the concept of states rights and the 10th Amendment got lost in the shuffle. Prior to passage of the 17th Amendment, Senators to the US Congress were appointed by their respective state legislature. This made them beholden to the state they represented and more willing to fight to preserve states rights.
Passage of the 17th Amendment effectively eradicated their allegiance to their home state and made future Senators, like House representatives, beholden to the power brokers, money men and political groups. IOW, it effectively ended the concept of America as a representative republic and truly made us a "democracy" subject to mob rule.
IMO, the repeal of the 17th Amendment would do wonders to restore the status of states rights and the power of the 10th Amendment by forcing the Senate to, once again, focus on two primary priorities - the business of America and the right of the individual states to control more of what government does within individual state lines than being forced to certain programs by a strong central government. The Founding Fathers gave up a lot to create a balanced system of government in which the individual states were not required to cave to the will of the central (federal) government.
Today, we discuss ad nauseum the abuses of the Obama government, yet none of us are willing to take the necessary next step to put America back in balance with its Constitution. We KNOW what needs to happen, but we are too cowed by a gargantuan central government that has grown far beyond the limits envisioned by the Founding Fathers to the extent that it is now a bully to its own citizens.
And, the next election will only change some of the names and faces associated with the abuse - it will do NOTHING to correct the course of our ship of state.
Agreed. I’ve long held that the 16th and 17th should be repealed to restore our constitutional republic.
well put Jim