State Legislatures appointing Senators

[A18]

The 17th amendment was almost as stupid as the 16th amendment. It was passed because deadlock in state legislatures (i.e. one chamber Republican, one chamber Democrat) left some states without representation.

And this isn't a democracy, in the traditional sense. The Senate was meant to make the federal government accountable to the states. A two-billion people city in California shouldn't be able to pass laws for the entire country just because they have 434 of the representatives.

What does the entire Bill of Rights do? Kill off democracy, because it sucks. Our founders were trying to secure the People's rights.

Rich people can buy off state legislatures to pass a law. Or any other legislature. Paranoid. Want to keep corruption out of the Senate? You need a branch that doesn't pander to factions of the people.

[A18]

Because the Feds think the 10th amendment has a "just kidding" clause at the end of it.

[A18]

I wonder why that might be...

[A18]

Senators were appointed by the states until 1918. I don't know exactly why they changed it...

It could distort the legislative election process, with voters supporting legislative candidates on the basis of who they would support for Senate. 

You could have outgoing legislators rather than incoming legislators pick the senators.