Omar Bennett
The Virginia Plan, also known as the Randolph Plan or the Large-State Plan, was a proposed plan for the US government presented at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Drafted by James Madison and Edmund Randolph, it called for a supreme national government with three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The Virginia Plan set the agenda for debate at the convention, particularly regarding population-weighted representation in the national legislature. This plan favoured large states, and the New Jersey Plan was proposed in response to protect small state interests. The Virginia Plan went through several revisions and, along with elements of the New Jersey Plan, formed the basis of the US Constitution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year proposed | 1787 |
| Author(s) | James Madison, Edmund Randolph |
| Type of government | Supreme national government with three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial |
| Legislature | Bicameral legislature with two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives |
| Representation | Proportional representation based on state population |
| Alternative plans | New Jersey Plan, Connecticut Compromise |
| Impact | Set the agenda for debate at the Constitutional Convention, leading to the formation of the U.S. Constitution |
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What You'll Learn
- The Virginia Plan called for a supreme national government with three branches
- The plan was drafted by James Madison and Edmund Randolph
- It set the agenda for debate at the Constitutional Convention
- It proposed a bicameral legislature with population-weighted representation
- The New Jersey Plan was proposed in response to protect small state interests
The Virginia Plan called for a supreme national government with three branches
The Virginia Plan, also known as the Randolph Plan or the Large-State Plan, was a proposed plan for the United States government. Drafted by James Madison and Edmund Randolph, it was introduced at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The plan called for a supreme national government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. This was a significant departure from the Articles of Confederation, which lacked provisions for executive and judicial branches.
The Virginia Plan outlined a strong central government with a bicameral legislature, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The members of the first branch of the legislature, or the House of Representatives, would be elected by the people of the states for a term of three years. They would be subject to rotation in office and recall elections. The first branch would then select the members of the second branch, or the Senate, from candidates nominated by state legislatures.
The legislative branch of the proposed government would have the power to appoint the members of the executive and judicial branches. The judicial branch, or the National Judiciary, would include a supreme tribunal and inferior tribunals chosen by the national legislature. Judges would hold office during good behavior and receive fixed compensation. The National Judiciary would have jurisdiction over cases involving piracy, felonies on the high seas, enemy captures, and those involving foreigners or citizens of multiple states. It would also handle cases related to the collection of national revenue, impeachment of national officials, and questions of national peace and harmony.
The Virginia Plan also included provisions for the admission of new states into the Union and guaranteed a republican form of government for each state. It outlined a process for amending the constitution that did not require the assent of the national legislature. The plan set the agenda for debate at the Constitutional Convention and laid the foundation for the idea of population-weighted representation in the national legislature, favouring the interests of states with large populations.
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The plan was drafted by James Madison and Edmund Randolph
The Virginia Plan, also known as the Randolph Plan or the Large-State Plan, was drafted by James Madison and Edmund Randolph. The plan was introduced to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and outlined a strong national government with three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial.
Madison, a delegate from Virginia, believed that a strong central government was the solution to America's problems. He proposed a bicameral legislature with two houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate, with members elected by the people. This legislature would have the power to appoint the executive and judicial branches, though this lack of separation would later be addressed in the US Constitution with a system of checks and balances.
The Virginia Plan also addressed taxation and interstate commerce, proposing that Congress should have compulsory taxation authority and the power to regulate foreign and interstate commerce. Madison believed that to enforce national supremacy, Congress should have the explicit right to use force against non-compliant states, and a national court system should be established.
The plan's focus on population-based representation sparked debates that resulted in the Great Compromise, shaping the fundamental workings of American democracy. The Virginia Plan set the agenda for the Constitutional Convention, and Madison's ideas formed the basis for discussions that led to the US Constitution.
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It set the agenda for debate at the Constitutional Convention
The Virginia Plan, also known as the Randolph Plan or the Large-State Plan, was a proposed plan of government for the United States presented at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The plan was drafted primarily by James Madison, with Edmund Randolph, and outlined a strong national government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.
The Virginia Plan set the agenda for debate at the Constitutional Convention in several ways. Firstly, it introduced the idea of a supreme national government, which was a radical departure from the existing Articles of Confederation. The plan called for the creation of a national government with three branches, including a bicameral legislature. This legislature would consist of two houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Virginia Plan thus initiated a discussion on the structure of the government and the number of branches, as well as the idea of population-weighted representation in the proposed national legislature.
Secondly, the Virginia Plan's proposal for a strong central government with three branches sparked debates about checks and balances to prevent the abuse of power. While the plan itself lacked a robust system of checks and balances, it led to discussions on how to ensure that each branch of government had a mechanism to control the others.
Additionally, the Virginia Plan's position on representation in the legislature was a significant point of contention. The plan favoured the interests of states with large populations, calling for representation in the national legislature to be apportioned according to "quotas of contribution" or population. This idea of population-weighted representation was a key agenda item for debate, with smaller states advocating for equal representation regardless of population. The debate resulted in the Connecticut Compromise, which provided for proportional representation in the House and equal representation in the Senate.
Lastly, the Virginia Plan's call for enlarging and correcting the Articles of Confederation was a central agenda item. The plan proposed that the Articles be "corrected and enlarged" to achieve their original purpose of providing for the common defence, security of liberty, and general welfare. This initiated discussions on how to revise and improve the existing plan of government.
In conclusion, the Virginia Plan played a crucial role in setting the overall agenda for debate at the Constitutional Convention. It introduced new ideas and sparked discussions on the structure of government, representation, the balance of powers, and the revision of the Articles of Confederation. The debates and agreements that emerged from these agendas ultimately shaped the foundation of the United States Constitution.
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It proposed a bicameral legislature with population-weighted representation
The Virginia Plan, proposed by James Madison and Edmund Randolph, was a plan of government for the United States that was presented at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. It proposed a strong national government with three branches: the executive, legislative, and judicial.
The Virginia Plan is notable for setting the agenda for debate at the convention, particularly regarding the idea of population-weighted representation in the proposed national legislature. It proposed a bicameral legislature, consisting of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The plan suggested that each state's representation in Congress should be based on its population. This meant that states with larger populations would have greater power and more representatives in the legislature than smaller states.
The Virginia Plan favored the interests of states with large populations, and as a result, the New Jersey Plan was proposed to protect the interests of smaller states. The New Jersey Plan, presented by the smaller states, proposed a single-chamber legislature where each state, regardless of population, would have one vote. This would ensure equal representation for all states.
The debate between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan led to the Connecticut Compromise, which aimed to address the concerns of both large and small states. The Connecticut Compromise, also known as the Great Compromise, provided for proportional representation in the House of Representatives, with the number of representatives based on state population, as proposed by the Virginia Plan. However, it also ensured equal representation for all states in the Senate, as advocated by the New Jersey Plan.
The Connecticut Compromise resolved the contentious issue of representation in the legislature, incorporating elements of both the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan. This compromise played a crucial role in shaping the structure and principles of the US Constitution, ensuring that the interests of both large and small states were considered and addressed.
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The New Jersey Plan was proposed in response to protect small state interests
The Virginia Plan, introduced to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, outlined a strong national government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. James Madison, the primary author of the plan, proposed a legislature divided into two bodies (the Senate and the House of Representatives) with proportional representation, meaning each state's representation in Congress would be based on its population.
However, the less populous states were strongly opposed to the bicameralism and proportional representation proposed in the Virginia Plan. They feared that it would give substantial control of the national government to the more populous states and ultimately oppress the smaller states. In response to these concerns, the less populous states proposed an alternative plan: the New Jersey Plan.
The New Jersey Plan, also known as the Small State Plan or the Paterson Plan, was introduced on June 15, 1787 by William Paterson of New Jersey. It proposed a unicameral (single-chamber) legislature with equal representation for each state, regardless of its population. This position reflected the belief that the states were independent entities and that they had entered the United States freely and individually, retaining their autonomy.
The New Jersey Plan aimed to revise the Articles of Confederation to keep more power in the hands of the states rather than a centralized government. It significantly expanded Congress's power, but this was not enough to gain support from the more populous states. The plan was rejected by a vote of 7-3 at the Constitutional Convention.
Despite its rejection, the New Jersey Plan played a crucial role in shaping the final constitution. It forced a compromise, known as the Connecticut Compromise or the Great Compromise, that combined elements of both plans. The resulting agreement included proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate, thus protecting the interests of both the smaller and larger states.
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Frequently asked questions
The Virginia Plan was a proposed plan of government for the United States, presented at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. It called for a supreme national government with three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.
The Virginia Plan set the agenda for debate at the Constitutional Convention. It introduced the idea of population-weighted representation in the proposed national legislature. The plan went through several revisions before it was finalized, incorporating some debates and agreements between delegates.
The Virginia Plan favored the interests of states with large populations, while the New Jersey Plan was proposed to protect small state interests. The Virginia Plan called for two legislative houses with representation based on population, whereas the New Jersey Plan advocated for a single legislative body with equal representation for each state.
