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Dongliang Li

Summarize Plans from the Constitutional Convention


Political Science 1
Instructor: David Andrus
March 27, 2016

The Virginia Plan: The Virginia Plan, which was drafted by James Madison, was

came up with fifteen resolutions that comprehensive explained why the Articles of
Confederation should be revised. In addition, The Virginia Plan gave details and plans for
a proposal to build a strong National Government that could collect taxes and create and
enforce laws. Based on the fundamental of national and state government system, The
Virginia Plan recommended separate the powers that would be divided among three
branches consisting legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Regarding to the
legislative branch, a bicameral legislature was brought up, and The Virginia plan also
suggested that the proportion of delegates selected from each state in the House of
Representatives should be based on the population of the state.

The New Jersey Plan: The New Jersey Plan was came up with eleven resolutions

formulated by William Paterson. It pointed out the deficiency of the confederation and
strongly suggested that the Articles of the Confederation must be altered, corrected and
extended. First, it considered that the states must gain more power than the national
government. Furthermore, as to power, The New Jersey Plan proposed that the National
government should have the ability to collect tax, declare war, elect federal executive and
pass laws applying duties on foreign goods. And as regards to executive, it gave authority
to the president to compel non-compliant states to observe the law. The New Jersey
suggested that The Federal Government should be divided into three parts consisting of
legislative, executive, and judiciary. Regarding to the legislative, The New Jersey Plan
proposed a legislature of only one house and regardless of the differences population of
the states, each state have the same representative in the congress.

Connecticut Compromise: The Great Compromise was brought up by Connecticut

delegates Oliver Ellsworth and Roger Sherman to solve the subject of Representation in
the Senate and the House of Representatives. It contained elements from both The
Virginia Plan and The New Jersey Plan. Connecticut Compromise claimed that the

congress should have two chambers, one must be proportional representation in the lower
house and the other one ought to be equal representation of the states in the upper house.
The House of Representatives would be based on population and elected by the people.
The Senate would be based on two senators per state being appointed by state
legislatures. Furthermore, before a law became enforceable, both houses had to pass it.

Work Cited
"Education from LVA: Virginia Plan." Education from LVA: Virginia Plan. Accessed March 27,
2016. http://edu.lva.virginia.gov/online_classroom/shaping_the_constitution/doc/virginia_plan.

"The Virginia and New Jersey Plans - Boundless Open Textbook." Boundless. Accessed March
28, 2016. https://www.boundless.com/u-s-history/textbooks/boundless-u-s-historytextbook/founding-a-nation-1783-1789-9/the-united-states-constitution-84/the-virginia-and-newjersey-plans-475-3263/.
"Senate Historical Office." U.S. Senate: 1787: A Great Compromise. Accessed March 28, 2016.
http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/A_Great_Compromise.htm.

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