The Virginia Plan was a proposal to establish a bicameral (two-branch) legislature in the newly founded United States. Drafted by James Madison in 1787, the plan recommended that states be represented based upon their population numbers, and it also called for the creation of three branches of government. While the Virginia Plan was not adopted in full, parts of the proposal were incorporated into the Great Compromise of 1787, which laid the foundation for the creation of the U.S. Constitution. Show
Key Takeaways: The Virginia Plan
BackgroundFollowing the establishment of the United States’ independence from Britain, the new nation was operating under the Articles of Confederation, which was an agreement among the 13 original colonies that the U.S. was a confederation of sovereign states. Because each state was an independent entity with its own governmental system, it soon became apparent that the idea of a confederation wasn’t going to work, particularly in cases of conflict. In the summer of 1787, the Constitutional Convention convened to evaluate the problems with governing under the Articles of Confederation. Several plans for modifying the government were proposed by the delegates to the convention. Under the direction of delegate William Paterson, the New Jersey Plan suggested a unicameral system, in which legislators voted as a single assembly. In addition, this proposal offered each state a single vote, regardless of population size. Madison, along with Virginia governor Edmund Randolph, presented a proposal as a contrast to the New Jersey Plan. It contained 15 resolutions. Although this proposal is often called the Virginia Plan, it is sometimes referred to as the Randolph Plan in the governor’s honor. Principles of the Virginia PlanThe Virginia Plan suggested first and foremost that the United States govern by way of a bicameral legislature. This system would split legislators into two houses, as opposed to the single assembly put forth by the New Jersey Plan. Additionally, legislators would be held to specified term limits. According to the Virginia Plan, each state would be represented by a number of legislators determined by the population of free inhabitants. Such a proposal was a benefit to Virginia and other large states, but smaller states with lower populations were concerned that they wouldn’t have enough representation. The Virginia Plan called for a government divided into three distinct branches— executive, legislative, and judicial—which would create a system of checks and balances. The Federal NegativePerhaps more importantly, the proposal suggested the concept of the federal negative, through which the federal legislative body would have the power to veto any state laws seen as “contravening in the opinion of the National Legislature the articles of Union.” In other words, state laws could not contradict federal ones. Specifically, Madison wrote: “Resolved that the Legislative Executive and Judiciary powers within the several States ought to be bound by oath to support the articles of Union.” Madison’s proposal for the federal negative became a bone of contention among the delegates on June 8, 1787. Originally, the Convention had agreed to a somewhat limited federal negative, but in June, South Carolina governor Charles Pinckney proposed that the federal negative should apply to “all laws which [Congress] should judge to be improper.” Madison seconded the motion, warning delegates that a limited federal negative could become an issue later on when states began to argue about the constitutionality of individual vetoes. The Great CompromiseUltimately, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention were tasked with making a decision, and so they had to evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of both the New Jersey and Virginia Plans. While the Virginia Plan was appealing to larger states, smaller states supported the New Jersey Plan, with their delegates feeling they would have more fair representation in the new government. Instead of adopting either of these proposals, a third option was presented by Roger Sherman, a delegate from Connecticut. Sherman’s plan included a bicameral legislature, as laid out in the Virginia Plan, but provided a compromise to satisfy concerns about population-based representation. In Sherman's plan, each state would have two representatives in the Senate and a population-determined number of representatives in the House. The delegates to the Constitutional Convention agreed that this plan was fair to everyone and voted to pass it into legislation in 1787. This proposal structuring the U.S. government has been called both the Connecticut Compromise and the Great Compromise. A year later, in 1788, Madison worked with Alexander Hamilton to create The Federalist Papers, a detailed pamphlet which explained to Americans how their new system of government would work once the new Constitution was ratified, replacing the ineffective Articles of Confederation. Sources
What was part of the Great Compromise are the ideas of the Virginia Plan represented?Introduced to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, James Madison's Virginia Plan outlined a strong national government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The plan called for a legislature divided into two bodies (the Senate and the House of Representatives) with proportional representation.
What was the importance of the Great Compromise which developed from parts of the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan?The Great Compromise combined elements of the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan. It decided on a bicameral, or two-house, legislative body with proportional representation (representation based on population) in one house and equal representation (representation based on state) in the other.
How did the Great Compromise combine the Virginia and New Jersey plans?This was the Virginia Plan. The small states wanted a legislature based solely on the number of states. This was the New Jersey Plan. The Compromise created two legislature bodies one based on population and one on the number of states.
What was the Virginia Plan of government quizlet?The Virginia Plan was presented to the Constitutional Convention and proposed the creation of a bicameral legislature with representation in both houses proportional to population. The Virginia Plan favored the large states, which would have a much greater voice.
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In what part of the Great Compromise are the ideas of the Virginia Plan represented Quizlet
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