Divided equally into three classes: 

The final way in which the Constitution provides for a Senate that works as a deliberative body is by dividing the Senate into three classes for the purposes of reelection.  In each federal Congressional election, i.e. every two years, only one-third of the Senate is up for election.  Over a six-year span each seat in the Senate will come up for election.  Thus if some issue of immediate concern sweeps the nation, at most only one-third of the Senate can be electorally caught up in the frenzy.  Again, the design of the Senate serves to make the legislative one that promotes deliberation, not one that is impulsive.  One thing should be noted at this point. The construction of the Senate (and other devices in the Constitution) may make it appear that the framers were afraid of democracy.  This is not true.  What is true is that the framers recognized that every form of government has its vices.  Experience had taught the framers that the vice of democracy is that the people often are swayed by an issue of immediate concern to pass foolish legislation, only later to discover the mistake and have to rework their past efforts.  Throughout history democracies have tended to be unstable.  The six-year term and one-third rule of the Senate serve to add some stability to a democratic government.