An Examination of the Creation of the United States Senate and its Intended Role within the American Republic
Open Access
Author:
Port, Noah
Area of Honors:
History
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Jacob F. Lee, Thesis Supervisor Cathleen Denise Cahill, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
United States Senate Constitutional Convention of 1787 Ratification Debates James Madison aristocracy democracry checks and balances 17th Amendment
Abstract:
In the current political discourse, questions have been raised about the United States Senate and its place in our nation’s government. Is the institution at odds with democracy? Is it outdated? With questions like this in mind, this thesis seeks to answer a few simple questions: How did the Senate end up as one of the political institutions bestowed to us via the Constitution of the United States and, why did the Framers of the Constitution feel that the Senate was a necessary institution for American governance? From the Constitutional Convention to the Ratification Debates, this thesis tracks the debate and philosophies that laid the foundation for one of the most notable pillars of American republicanism. Further, it will examine the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment, its impact on the original framing of the Senate, and its relation to the original debates that occurred regarding the institution. In all, this thesis seeks to place the modern debate regarding the United States Senate within the larger historical debate that has existed since the creation of the institution.
