Virginia Plan

Virginia Plan‏‎

The Virginia Plan was a proposal by Virginia delegates for a bicameral legislative branch. The plan was drafted by James Madison while he waited for a quorum to assemble at the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

Background

The Virginia Plan was created in response to the need for a stronger national government. The Articles of Confederation had established a weak central government, which was unable to levy taxes or regulate commerce. This led to economic instability and difficulty in passing laws.

Proposal

The Virginia Plan proposed a new form of government that included a bicameral legislature, with representation in both houses proportional to population. The lower house would be elected by the people, and the upper house would be elected by the lower house from a list of nominees submitted by the state legislatures. The plan also called for a national executive and judiciary.

Impact

The Virginia Plan served as the basis for discussion and debate at the Constitutional Convention. It influenced the development of the United States Constitution, particularly in the creation of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Opposition

The Virginia Plan was opposed by smaller states, which feared that they would be outvoted by larger states in a proportional system. This led to the proposal of the New Jersey Plan, which called for equal representation for each state, regardless of its population.

Compromise

The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, resolved the dispute between the large and small states. It created a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the lower house and equal representation in the upper house.

See also

• Constitutional Convention
• New Jersey Plan
• Great Compromise

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  High-resolution image of the front of the Virginia Plan

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  Diagram of the Virginia Plan

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  Image of a St. Primus bottle