Mark Levin’s new book the Liberty Amendments devotes a part of Chapter 3 to how to get big money out of U.S. Senate elections: repeal the 17th Amendment.

I’ve not seen his idea addressed by Credible Scholars, but given Levin’s book has been #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and remains a top seller, I don’t suppose it matters.

Here’s his idea: after the 17th Amendment passed and led to the direct election of Senators, campaigns for Senate became subject to the usual architecture of House races – lobbyist money, Washington influence, responsiveness to faction.  Levin notes that the Founders predicted this, and thus they wanted the Senate to be elected by the state legislatures.

When election by the state legislatures, Senators had one constituency – the states as political entities.  Thus, a Senator’s focus was not in Washington D.C., but rather back home.  The 17th Amendment changed all that.