What event predated the Meiji Restoration and fed into fears regarding European countries growing in industrial power?

He seventeenth amendment to the us constitution calls for the direct election of all us senators. this means that the people of each state get to vote to decide who will be their two us senators. before this, the legislatures of each state chose the two us senators from that state with no direct involvement of the average voter. why would this amendment be considered a reform? how would it benefit the people? even today some people claim that the seventeenth amendment was a bad idea. what arguments could be made for reverting selection of us senators back to the state legislatures?

How did the writings of scholars, such as aristotle, influence the renaissance periods perception of women?

What is the purpose of the system of checks and balances