The New Jersey and Virginia Plans Lesson Quiz

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.

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

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

The New Jersey Plan

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

The Virginia Plan

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

The Virginia Plan advocated for more powers for the central government. 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.

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.

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

To shift more power to the national government.