The Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan were two proposals presented during the Constitutional Convention of 1787, aimed at addressing the structure of the newly proposed U.S. government.
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Virginia Plan: Proposed by James Madison and presented by Edmund Randolph, the Virginia Plan favored larger states. Key features included:
- A strong national government with three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.
- A bicameral (two-chamber) legislature with representation based on population, meaning larger states would have more representatives.
- The ability for the legislature to veto state laws.
- Specifically, it suggested a national executive elected by the legislature and a national judiciary.
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New Jersey Plan: Presented by William Paterson, the New Jersey Plan was designed to protect the interests of smaller states. Main features included:
- A unicameral (single-chamber) legislature with equal representation for each state, regardless of population.
- The continuation of the Articles of Confederation framework but with increased powers, such as taxation and regulation of commerce.
- A federal executive with multiple members elected by the legislature, and a federal judiciary.
Outcome: The differences between these two plans highlighted the conflict between large and small states. Ultimately, the Connecticut Compromise (or Great Compromise) was adopted, which created a bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives based on population (favoring larger states) and a Senate with equal representation for each state (favoring smaller states). This compromise helped to establish the structure of the legislative branch of the U.S. government as it exists today.
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