Malcolm Rivera
The Virginia Plan, presented by Edmund Randolph at the Constitutional Convention in 1787, was a proposal for a strong central government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. Drafted by James Madison, the plan called for a bicameral legislature, with the number of representatives per state based on population. While the Virginia Plan was not adopted in its entirety, it served as the foundation for the U.S. Constitution, influencing the Great Compromise of 1787 and setting the agenda for debate at the Convention.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year proposed | 1787 |
| Date presented | 29 May 1787 |
| Presented by | Edmund Randolph |
| Author | James Madison |
| Type of government | Supreme national government |
| Number of branches | 3 (executive, legislative, and judicial) |
| Number of legislative houses | 2 |
| Basis of representation | Population |
| Ratified by | Assemblies elected by the people |
| Supporting states | Larger states |
| Opposition | Smaller states |
| Alternative plan | New Jersey Plan |
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What You'll Learn
The Virginia Plan's influence on the US Constitution
The Virginia Plan, presented by Edmund Randolph at the Constitutional Convention on May 29, 1787, was a proposal for a strong central government with three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. Drafted primarily by James Madison, it outlined a national government with two legislative bodies, the Senate and the House of Representatives, with representation based on state population. This was in contrast to the New Jersey Plan, which proposed a single-chamber legislature with equal representation for each state.
One of the key aspects of the Virginia Plan was its proposal for a bicameral legislature, or two-branch system. This idea was incorporated into the US Constitution, resulting in the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Plan's resolution on representation, which called for proportional representation based on state population, also influenced the structure of the legislature. This was a departure from the Articles of Confederation, which provided for equal representation for each state.
Another important feature of the Virginia Plan was its proposal for the separation of powers among the three branches of government. While the final Constitution included checks and balances to prevent the abuse of power, the Virginia Plan lacked this system as the legislature appointed both the executive and judicial branches. Nevertheless, the Plan's influence extended to the establishment of these three branches in the US government.
The Virginia Plan's impact on the US Constitution was substantial, despite not being fully adopted. Its proposals for a strong central government, population-based representation, and a bicameral legislature shaped the structure and principles of the final document. The debates and compromises that arose from the Virginia Plan, such as the Connecticut Compromise, reflected the delegates' efforts to balance the interests of large and small states and laid the groundwork for the creation of the US Constitution.
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The three branches of government
The Virginia Plan, presented by Edmund Randolph at the Constitutional Convention on May 29, 1787, was a proposal for a strong central government with three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. Drafted primarily by James Madison, a delegate from Virginia, the plan outlined a national government consisting of two branches of the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary.
The first branch of the legislature, or the House of Representatives, would be elected by the people of the several states for a term of three years, with members subject to rotation in office and recall elections. The second branch, or the Senate, would be composed of older, more experienced leaders elected by the state legislatures for seven-year terms. This branch would also receive stipends as compensation for their devotion to public service.
The executive branch, headed by the President, would be responsible for enforcing the laws and treaties of the government, as well as appointing judges to the judicial branch. The judicial branch, meanwhile, would be responsible for interpreting the laws and ensuring their fairness and constitutionality.
The Virginia Plan's proposal for the three branches of government was a significant departure from the existing system under the Articles of Confederation, which lacked provisions for executive and judicial branches. The plan aimed to address the weaknesses of the Articles, such as the lack of compulsory taxation authority and power to regulate foreign and interstate commerce. By creating a strong central government with separate branches, Madison believed that the Virginia Plan would provide a more effective and efficient system for governing the newly founded United States.
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Population-weighted representation
The Virginia Plan, presented at the Constitutional Convention in 1787, proposed a strong central government with three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. It was drafted by James Madison, a delegate from Virginia, and presented by Edmund Randolph. The plan called for a bicameral legislature, with the number of representatives per state based on population, also known as population-weighted representation. This meant that states with larger populations would have more representation than smaller states.
The Virginia Plan was a radical departure from the Articles of Confederation, which gave each state equal representation regardless of population. The plan proposed a supreme national government with two legislative houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The members of the first branch of the legislature (the House of Representatives) would be elected by the people for three-year terms, while the members of the second branch (the Senate) would be older leaders elected by the state legislatures for seven-year terms.
The Virginia Plan's proposal for population-weighted representation was a bone of contention among the delegates to the Constitutional Convention. Larger states supported the plan, as it gave them more representation, while smaller states generally opposed it, preferring alternatives like the New Jersey Plan that guaranteed each state equal representation regardless of population. The New Jersey Plan, proposed by William Paterson, suggested a unicameral system with a single-chamber legislature where each state, regardless of population, would have one vote.
The debate between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan ultimately led to the Connecticut Compromise, which was adopted on July 16, 1787. This compromise utilized both forms of representation, providing proportional representation in the House based on population and equal representation in the Senate, with each state having two senators.
While the Virginia Plan was not adopted in full, it played a significant role in shaping the U.S. Constitution. It set the overall agenda for debate at the Constitutional Convention and laid the foundation for the creation of the U.S. Constitution, with parts of the proposal incorporated into the Great Compromise of 1787. The plan's idea of population-weighted representation, in particular, influenced the structure of the legislative branch of the U.S. government.
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The Connecticut Compromise
The Virginia Plan, proposed by James Madison and presented by Edmund Randolph on May 29, 1787, was a foundational step towards the Constitution of the United States. The plan called for a strong central government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. It also proposed a bicameral legislature, with the lower house's representation based on population and the upper house having two members from each state.
The Compromise was approved on July 16, 1787, after six weeks of turmoil and a close vote of the states. It allowed for the continuation of deliberations and led to the Three-Fifths Compromise, further complicating the issue of popular representation in the House. The Connecticut Compromise set the framework for the legislative structure and representation of the United States Constitution, balancing the interests of small and large states.
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The New Jersey Plan
The first resolution of the New Jersey Plan called for a unicameral system of legislature, with each state having equal representation, regardless of their population. This was in contrast to the Virginia Plan, which called for a bicameral legislature with representation based on population. The second resolution expanded the scope of Congress's powers, granting it the authority to collect import duties, impose a stamp tax and postage, and regulate interstate commerce and commerce with other nations.
The third resolution of the New Jersey Plan established the three-fifths rule, whereby three-fifths of the number of enslaved people in a state would be counted towards its population for taxation and representation purposes. The fourth resolution added an executive branch to be made up of multiple individuals, who could be removed by a majority vote of the states. The fifth resolution provided for a federal judiciary, appointed by the executive branch, to hear impeachments and appeals.
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Frequently asked questions
The Virginia Plan was a proposal for a strong central government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. It was drafted by James Madison and Edmund Randolph and presented by the latter to the Constitutional Convention on May 29, 1787.
The Virginia Plan was a proposal for a strong national government and served as the foundation for the US Constitution. It called for the creation of a supreme national government, a significant departure from the Articles of Confederation. The plan outlined a bicameral legislature, with the number of representatives per state based on population, favouring the interests of larger states.
The Virginia Plan was not adopted in its entirety. It went through several revisions and, along with the New Jersey Plan, served as a basis for the Great Compromise of 1787, which laid the foundation for the US Constitution. The Virginia Plan influenced the overall agenda for debate at the Constitutional Convention and set forth the idea of population-weighted representation.
