Why did reformers criticize the old system in which state legislatures selected U.S. senators?
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Correct answer: They believed it encouraged bribery and control by wealthy interests
Before the Seventeenth Amendment, state legislatures chose U.S. senators. Reformers argued that this system could be corrupted by money and political bargaining.
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More Political Corruption and Reform questions
- Which statement best describes the relationship between political machines and reformers?
- Which statement best summarizes political corruption and reform efforts in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era?
- What does the term political machine refer to in Gilded Age urban politics?
- Which New York City political machine became a famous symbol of Gilded Age corruption?
- Who was William M. 'Boss' Tweed?
- How did political machines often win support from immigrants and working-class voters?