The US Constitution originally said that senators would be selected by state legislatures. Per the terms of the 17th Amendment, senators are now elected directly by the citizens of their respective states. The party balance in the 115th Congress (2017–19) is 51 Republicans, 47 Democrats, and 2 independents, who caucus with the Democrats. As of January 2018, Republicans had control of the legislatures of 31 states; Democrats had control in 14; control was split in 4; and Nebraska was officially nonpartisan.

Develop an argument for or against repealing the 17th Amendment.

In your essay, you must:

articulate a defensible claim or thesis that responds to the prompt and establishes a line of reasoning.
use your knowledge of federalism, the constitutional position of the US Senate, partisan politics, checks and balances, voting rights, and the history of redistricting or gerrymandering to address the current status of the US Senate and the potential effect such a repeal might have.
use reasoning to show how your evidence supports your claim or thesis.
use refutation, concession, or rebuttal to respond to an opposing alternative or perspective.