Why did reformers want to pass the seventeenth amendment?
A to pay for new government programs
B to give citizens a greater say in choosing their representatives
C to protect women and children from problems caused by alcohol
D to give women the equal rights they deserved

B. To give citizens a greater say in choosing their representatives.

Explanation:

In the early nineties, during a dawn that could be named a Progressive era being (1900-1920), it was a period of political, economic, and social reform in the United States.

This was caused by the gridlock over the election of senators, which brought about vacancies in the senate lasting for months and even years. In other cases, political machines gained control over state legislatures.

This  amendment curtailed corruption and reduce the influence of political machines by allowing Americans to directly vote in U.S. senators.