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journal article The Great Compromise: Ideas, Interests, and the Politics of Constitution MakingThe William and Mary Quarterly Vol. 44, No. 3, The Constitution of the United States (Jul., 1987) , pp. 424-457 (34 pages) Published By: Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture https://doi.org/10.2307/1939765 https://www.jstor.org/stable/1939765 Read and download Log in through your school or library Alternate access options For independent researchers Read Online Read 100 articles/month free Subscribe to JPASS Unlimited reading + 10 downloads Purchase article $9.00 - Download now and later Journal Information A leading journal in early American history and culture, the William and Mary Quarterly publishes refereed scholarship in history and related disciplines from initial Old World–New World contacts to the early nineteenth century. Its articles, sources and interpretations, and reviews of books range from British North America and the United States to Europe, West Africa, the Caribbean, and the Spanish American borderlands. Forums and special issues address topics of active interest in the field. Publisher Information The Omohundro Institute of Early American History & Culture supports scholars and scholarship focused on the expansive field of early American history. The OI has produced a deep bench of award-winning scholarly monographs on a variety of topics; published the leading journal in the field, the William and Mary Quarterly; and sponsored events including conferences designed to bring together scholars for robust exchange at various levels of career achievement for robust exchange.
The Virginia Plan (also known as the Randolph Plan, after its sponsor, or the Large-State Plan) was a proposal to the United States Constitutional Convention for the creation of a supreme national government with three branches and a bicameral legislature. The plan was drafted by James Madison while he waited for a quorum to assemble at the Constitutional Convention of 1787.[1] The Virginia Plan was notable for its role in setting the overall agenda for debate in the Convention and, in particular, for setting forth the idea of population-weighted representation in the proposed national legislature.[2][3] The Virginia Plan favored the interests of states with large populations, and the New Jersey Plan was proposed in response to protect small state interests. Drafting and proposal[edit]From May 25 to September 17, 1787, the Constitutional Convention gathered in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation, the first plan of government of the United States. The Articles were widely criticized for creating a weak central government—the Confederation Congress—that was powerless to solve the nation's problems.[3] Under the Articles, Congress was unable to raise taxes to pay for a military or pay off foreign debts. It also lacked the authority to control foreign and interstate commerce.[4] The Articles had no provision for executive and judicial branches, which meant the Confederation government lacked effective means to enforce its own laws and treaties against non-compliant states.[5] James Madison, a delegate from Virginia, believed that the solution to America's problems was to be found in a strong central government.[6] Congress needed compulsory taxation authority as well as power to regulate foreign and interstate commerce.[7] To prevent state interference with the national government's authority, Madison believed there needed to be a way to enforce the national supremacy, such as an explicit right of Congress to use force against non-compliant states and the creation of a national court system. Madison also believed that to be a truly national government, Congress would need to exercise authority over citizens directly—not simply through the states. This would require a change in how states were represented in Congress; under the Articles each state received one vote. Madison believed representation ought to be apportioned by population, with more populous states having more votes than less populous states.[8] Madison was also concerned with preventing a tyranny of the majority. The government needed to be neutral between the various factions or interest groups that divided society—creditors and debtors, rich and poor, or farmers, merchants and manufacturers. Madison believed that a single faction could more easily control the government within a state but would have a more difficult time dominating a national government comprising many different interest groups. To protect both national authority and minority rights, Madison believed Congress should be granted veto power over state laws.[9] While waiting for the Convention to formally begin, Madison sketched out the Virginia Plan in consultation with members of the Virginia and Pennsylvania delegations, which shared his vision of a strong national government.[10] While Madison is given chief credit for producing the plan, it was Edmund Randolph, Virginia's governor at the time, who officially put it before the Convention on May 29, 1787.[11] In his introduction, Randolph highlighted the problems facing the Confederation. Referring to Shays' Rebellion in Massachusetts, he warned of "anarchy from the laxity of government".[12] The solution to these problems, he asserted, must be based on "the republican principle".[13] Resolutions[edit]Calling for the creation of a supreme national government, the Virginia Plan was a radical departure from the Articles of Confederation.[14] Modeled on the existing state governments,[12] the plan called for three branches of government (executive, legislative and judicial).[15] Since the legislature appointed both the executive and judicial branches, however, the plan lacked the system of checks and balances that became central to the US Constitution.[12] It was presented to the Convention as fifteen draft resolutions that outlined basic principles of government.[12]
Reaction[edit]Large states supported this plan, and smaller states generally opposed it, preferring alternatives that guaranteed each state equal representation regardless of population.[3] On June 15, 1787, the smaller states presented the New Jersey Plan, which proposed a single-chamber legislature where each state, regardless of population, would have one vote, as under the Articles of Confederation. In July, after the meeting of the First Committee of Eleven, the Convention settled on the Connecticut Compromise, creating a House of Representatives apportioned by population and a Senate in which each state is equally represented.[2] Popular culture[edit]The Virginia Plan and the debate surrounding it are prominently featured in the 1989 film A More Perfect Union, which depicts the events of the 1787 Constitutional Convention. Presented largely from the viewpoint and words of James Madison, the movie was mainly filmed in Independence Hall. References[edit]Citations[edit]
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Wikisource has original text related to this article: What part of the Great Compromise are the ideas of the Virginia Plan representative?The Great Compromise suggested a bicameral legislature; one house with representation based on population as suggested in the Virginia Plan and a second house with equal representation as suggested by the New Jersey Plan.
What was the Great Compromise and what did it have to do with the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan?Also known as the Sherman Compromise or the Connecticut Compromise, the deal combined proposals from the Virginia (large state) plan and the New Jersey (small state) plan. According to the Great Compromise, there would be two national legislatures in a bicameral Congress.
What kind of states did the Virginia Plan favor?This would provide large states, like Virginia, more representation than they had under the Articles of Confederation, which gave each state equal representation regardless of population. For this reason, the plan was called the "large-state plan".
What was the name of the compromise that settled the argument between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan?Three-fifths compromise, compromise agreement between delegates from the Northern and the Southern states at the United States Constitutional Convention (1787) that three-fifths of the slave population would be counted for determining direct taxation and representation in the House of Representatives.
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