Malcolm Rivera
The United States Constitution established a bicameral legislature, composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate, in Article I. The Founding Fathers debated two plans at the Convention: the Virginia Plan, which proposed a state's population would correspond to its representation in Congress, and the New Jersey Plan, which provided for equal representation among the states in a one-chamber legislature. Ultimately, the delegates agreed to the Great Compromise, which created a bicameral legislature, providing for representation by population in one house and equal representation in the other.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of chambers | Two chambers |
| Legislative body | Congress |
| Number of houses | Two houses |
| House of Representatives | Elected by the people of the several states |
| Senate | Elected by those of the first chamber |
| Number of representatives | Proportional to the state's population |
| Purpose | Separation of powers |
| Function | Part of the system of checks and balances |
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What You'll Learn
The Virginia Plan
The debate between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan ultimately led to the Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise. This compromise created a bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives apportioned by population and a Senate in which each state is equally represented.
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The New Jersey Plan
The plan consisted of nine resolutions. The first resolution advocated for continuing the unicameral system of legislature outlined under the Articles of Confederation, while allowing for revisions to it. The second resolution expanded the scope of Congress's powers, granting it the authority to collect import duties, raise taxes through measures such as a stamp tax and postage, and regulate interstate commerce and commerce with other nations. The third resolution established the three-fifths rule, which stated that three-fifths of the number of enslaved people in a state would be counted to determine its population for proportional funding requests from Congress.
The fourth resolution called for the addition of an executive branch, to be made up of multiple individuals, and provided a mechanism for their removal by a majority vote of the states. The fifth resolution proposed the establishment of a federal judiciary, appointed by the executive branch, to hear impeachments of federal officers and appeals in other cases. The sixth resolution stated that all Acts of Congress made pursuant to the Articles of Confederation should be the supreme law of the land, with state judges bound to uphold them.
The remaining resolutions included provisions for the admission of new states into the Union, a uniform rule of naturalization, and equal treatment of citizens of each state in state criminal courts.
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The Great Compromise
The United States Constitution establishes a bicameral legislature, which is composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate. This means that the US Congress has two houses, also referred to as chambers.
The idea of a bicameral legislature was proposed at the Constitutional Convention in 1787, which was assembled to address the defects of the Articles of Confederation and the national unicameral legislature. The Articles of Confederation, created soon after the Declaration of Independence, were ratified by the states in 1781.
The Founding Fathers debated two different plans at the Convention: the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan. The Virginia Plan, drafted by James Madison, proposed a state's population would correspond to the amount of representation it would have in Congress. This plan was supported by the larger states, such as Virginia and North Carolina. On the other hand, the smaller states, mainly in the North, supported the New Jersey Plan, which provided for equal representation among the states in a one-chamber legislature.
The delegates ultimately agreed to a compromise, known as the "Great Compromise", proposed by Roger Sherman, a delegate from Connecticut. This compromise combined the two plans by creating a bicameral legislature, with one house providing representation by population and the other providing equal representation for all states. This resulted in the House of Representatives, where each state has a number of representatives proportional to its population, and the Senate, where each state has two senators.
The bicameral system was adopted to create a separation of powers and to balance the power of different parts of the government, ensuring that no single body has too much power. This system of checks and balances was considered important to prevent a single legislative body from becoming too powerful and to provide a ""double security" for the people.
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Separation of powers
The United States Constitution establishes a bicameral system in Article I, which outlines the legislative branch of the US government, composed of the US House of Representatives and the Senate.
The idea of a bicameral system is rooted in the separation of powers, with the intention of creating a system of checks and balances to prevent any one branch of government from becoming too powerful. This concept was proposed by the Founding Fathers, who were concerned about the concentration of power in a single legislative body.
The Virginia Plan, drafted by James Madison, proposed a bicameral legislature with two chambers. One chamber would be elected by the people of the states, while the other would be elected by the members of the first chamber, from a list of nominees put forward by state legislatures. This was intended to ensure that different social classes or groups within society were represented separately, each advising and acting in the interests of their respective constituencies.
The smaller states objected to the Virginia Plan as it proposed representation based on state population, which would favour the larger states. In response, the New Jersey Plan was proposed, advocating for equal representation among the states in a unicameral legislature. The Founding Fathers eventually agreed on a compromise that combined elements of both plans, resulting in a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in one house and equal representation in the other.
The bicameral system was also influenced by historical models, including ancient republics with two-house legislatures and the Parliament of Great Britain, which had a House of Lords and a House of Commons. The adoption of a bicameral legislature in the US Constitution was a deliberate choice to create a balance of powers and prevent the excesses of power that can occur in a single legislative body.
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Historical context
The United States Constitution established a bicameral legislature, which is a legislative body made up of two chambers. This is in contrast to a unicameral legislature, in which all members deliberate and vote as a single group. The US Congress is composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate, which act as the "lower house" and "upper house", respectively.
The idea of a bicameral system was not new when the US Constitution was being drafted. The Framers of the Constitution looked to history, other countries, and the states for inspiration when addressing the form Congress would take. Many of the historical republics the Framers studied, as well as the United Kingdom, had bicameral legislatures. Additionally, some of the Framers themselves were governed by bicameral state legislatures. Following the Declaration of Independence in 1776, all but three states (Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Vermont) established bicameral legislatures.
The Framers of the Constitution also wanted to create a powerful legislative body as part of the system of checks and balances. However, they feared that a single legislative body might be too powerful. James Madison noted that bicameralism would create two "different bodies of men who might watch and check each other." This view was shared by James Iredell, who later became a Supreme Court Justice, and stated at the North Carolina Ratifying Convention in 1788 that a bicameral legislature was necessary to diffuse factional power.
At the Constitutional Convention, larger states (mostly in the South) and smaller states (in the North) quarrelled over which should wield more power at the federal level. The Virginia Plan, proposed by Virginia Governor Edmund Randolph, suggested a legislative body in which each state would have a different number of representatives based on the state's population. This plan favoured the larger states. The smaller states objected and proposed the New Jersey Plan, which provided for equal representation among the states in a one-chamber legislature. As a compromise, Roger Sherman, a delegate from Connecticut, proposed a bicameral legislature, which became known as the Great Compromise. This way, smaller states got equal representation in the Senate, with each having two senators, while the House of Representatives assigns members of Congress proportional to the population.
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Frequently asked questions
Article I of the US Constitution mentions a bicameral system, establishing a legislative branch composed of the US House of Representatives and the Senate.
A bicameral system is a legislative body made up of two (bi) chambers (camera). It is also referred to as a two-house legislative system.
The US Constitution adopted a bicameral system to create a separation of powers and to act as a system of checks and balances.
The Founding Fathers debated two different plans at the Convention: the Virginia Plan, which proposed a state's population would correspond to the amount of representation it would have in Congress, and the New Jersey Plan, which provided for equal representation among the states in a one-chamber legislature.
The Founding Fathers feared that a single legislative body might be too powerful and wanted to prevent Congress's power.
