Description
Book SynopsisFrom 1789 to 1913, U.S. senators were not directly elected by the people--instead the Constitution mandated that they be chosen by state legislators. This radically changed in 1913, when the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, giving the public a direct vote. Electing the Senate investigates the electoral connections among const
Trade Review"Schiller and Stewart develop a database of breathtaking proportions to provide insight into the politics of indirect election of senators, and the consequences of direct and indirect election on electoral responsiveness. Rather than a dusty account of a long-forgotten reform, this book has implications for understanding the modern Senate."--Choice
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations vii List of Tables ix Preface xi Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Chapter 2 A Theory of Indirect Election 20 Chapter 3 Candidate Emergence, Political Ambition, and Seat Value 51 Chapter 4 Party as Gatekeeper: Canvass, Convention, and Caucus as Nomination Mechanisms 82 Chapter 5 Political Dynamics and Senate Representation 121 Chapter 6 Senate Electoral Responsiveness under Indirect and Direct Election 157 Chapter 7 Myth and Reality of the Seventeenth Amendment 199 References 219 Index 227
