The New Jersey and Virginia Plan

Resting at the heart of the debate over the Virginia and New Jersey plans was:

A disagreement over the national government being representative of the people or of the states. The key distinction between these plans was whether the people or the states would be represented in the national government.

Virginia Plan

A plan for two-house legislature; representation would be elected to the lower house based on each state's population; representation for the upper house would be chosen by the lower house.

New Jersey Plan

A plan that called for a one-house legislature; each state would receive one vote.

Virginia Plan (large state plan)

Legislature: Bicameral Representation: Population based (higher population = more representation) Role of National Government: Can legislate for states and veto state laws

New Jersey Plan (small state plan)

Legislature: Unicameral Representation: State based (each state equally represented) Role of National Government: Provides defense but does NOT override state authority.

In proposing the New Jersey Plan, its proponents were interested in what?

Maintaining the structure of the Articles of Confederation and basing representation on the states The New Jersey Plan provided for only one house of Congress, with each state having equal representation.

What best describes the differences between the Virginia and New Jersey Plans in the role of federal and state sovereignty?

Supporters of the New Jersey Plan advocated for states to retain power over the national government while supporters of the Virginia Plan wanted the national government to legislate for the states and even veto laws passed by state legislatures. Supporters of the New Jersey Plan believed that the states were best suited to represent the needs of the citizens while supporters of the Virginia Plan believed that effective representation could happen at the national level. The Virginia Plan advocated for more powers for the central government.

Which plan for representation in the national legislature advocated for the voice of less populous states?

The New Jersey Plan: The New Jersey Plan advocated for equal representation in the national legislature regardless of the size of a state's population in order to ensure that smaller states still had a voice in the government.

What best describes the ideas and beliefs of federal and state sovereignty in the Virginia Plan?

The Virginia Plan not only sought to give more representation to populous states, it also advocated for a national government that would legislate for the states. Supporters of the Virginia Plan believed that a strong national government was vital to the success of the United States.

During the Constitutional Convention, how did the Virginia Plan differ from the New Jersey Plan?

The Virginia Plan wanted a legislature in which states received representation in proportion to the size of their population, while the New Jersey plan wanted a legislature that gave each state equal representation, regardless of the size of its population. The Virginia Plan provided for greater representation, but only for some states, while the New Jersey Plan provided for equal representation for all states.

Which plan for representation argued for greater representation for the more populous states?

The Virginia Plan: The Virginia Plan advocated for states with a larger population to have greater representation in the national legislature.

The motivation for those who introduced and promoted the Virginia Plan was:

To shift more power to the national government. This plan would give more power to the national government and favor the more populous states.