The Great Compromise: A Balancing Act In The Constitution

The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was a political proposal set forth by Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth, Connecticut delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The Great Compromise was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that in part defined the legislative structure and representation each state would have under the United States Constitution. The Compromise proposed a two-house Congress, with one house being the Senate, which could have equal representation for each state, and the other house, the House of Representatives, would include representation based on state population.

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The Connecticut Compromise

The Compromise retained the bicameral legislature, as proposed by Roger Sherman, with proportional representation of the states in the lower house, or House of Representatives. It also required the upper house, or Senate, to be weighted equally among the states, with each state having two members in the Senate. This was a compromise between the Virginia or Randolph Plan, which proposed that membership in both houses be allocated to each state proportionally to its population, and the New Jersey or small state plan, which provided for equal representation in Congress.

The Compromise allowed for the continuation of deliberations, leading to the Three-Fifths Compromise, which further complicated the issue of popular representation in the House. The Connecticut Compromise's structural principles were later followed by the two legislative chambers of the European Union: the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.

Bicameral legislature

The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise or Sherman Compromise, was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that defined the legislative structure and representation each state would have under the United States Constitution.

The Compromise retained the bicameral legislature, or a legislature consisting of two houses, as proposed by Roger Sherman. This legislature consisted of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The former would have proportional representation of the states, with each state having one representative for every 40,000 inhabitants, and the latter would be weighted equally among the states, with each state having two members.

The Compromise was a response to the Virginia Plan, drafted by James Madison and introduced by Edmund Randolph, which proposed a bicameral national legislature with proportional representation in both houses based on state size. Delegates from smaller states objected to this idea, arguing that it would give larger states too much power. The Great Compromise was thus formed to address these concerns and strike a balance between the interests of large and small states.

The Compromise was later modified, with the addition of a provision that revenue and spending bills would only originate in the House. This agreement, which became known as the Three-Fifths Compromise, further complicated the issue of popular representation in the House.

Legislative structure

The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that defined the legislative structure and representation each state would have under the United States Constitution.

The Great Compromise resolved the most controversial aspect of the drafting of the Constitution—how to structure Congress. The delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia established equal representation in the Senate and proportional representation in the House of Representatives. This unique plan for congressional representation was called the "Great Compromise" or the "Connecticut Compromise."

The Connecticut Compromise proposed a two-house Congress. One house would be the Senate, which could have equal representation for each state. The other house, the House of Representatives, would include representation based on state population. Delegates on both sides of the disagreement agreed that the proposal was as fair a balance as could be achieved.

The Great Compromise combined elements of both the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan by including two legislative bodies, or a bicameral government, one with proportional representation and the other with equal representation. The Virginia Plan, drafted by James Madison and introduced to the Convention by Edmund Randolph, proposed the creation of a bicameral national legislature, or a legislature consisting of two houses, in which the “rights of suffrage” in both houses would be proportional to the size of the state. When delegates from small states objected to this idea, delegates from the larger states argued that their states contributed more of the nation’s financial and defensive resources than small states and therefore ought to have a greater say in the central government.

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State representation

The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that defined the legislative structure and representation each state would have under the United States Constitution. It retained the bicameral legislature, with proportional representation of the states in the lower house, or House of Representatives, and equal state representation in the upper house, or Senate.

The Constitutional Convention of 1787 was marked by a conflict between large and small states, threatening to break apart the convention. The larger states argued that their greater contribution of financial and defensive resources to the nation meant they ought to have a greater say in the central government. The small-state delegates, on the other hand, vehemently opposed proportional representation in the Senate, threatening to derail the proceedings.

The Connecticut Compromise, proposed by Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth, delegates from Connecticut, aimed to balance the conflicting interests of the large and small states. It proposed a two-house Congress, with the Senate having equal representation for each state, and the House of Representatives having representation based on state population. This compromise was accepted on July 16, 1787, allowing for the successful creation of the US Constitution.

The Great Compromise thus resolved the issue of state representation in the federal government, bridging the gap between states with varying populations and wealth. It ensured that each state had a voice in the Senate, while also reflecting the principle of proportional representation in the House of Representatives. This compromise was a crucial step in the formation of the United States government and the creation of a system of government that both large and small states could ratify.

Electoral college

The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that defined the legislative structure and representation each state would have under the United States Constitution. It retained the bicameral legislature, with proportional representation of the states in the lower house, or House of Representatives, and equal state representation in the upper house, or Senate.

One of the main disagreements during the Constitutional Convention was over state representation in the federal government. The participating states varied greatly in population and wealth, and delegates from small states objected to the idea of proportional representation in both houses, which was proposed in the Virginia Plan drafted by James Madison. They argued that each state should have a say in the central government, regardless of its size.

To resolve these concerns, a compromise committee, also known as the "Grand Committee", was formed to devise a proposal that would be acceptable to all states. The committee's report, submitted on July 5, 1787, became the basis for the Great Compromise. The report recommended equal representation for each state in the upper house and proportional representation in the lower house, with the number of representatives based on state population, including three-fifths of each state's enslaved population.

The Great Compromise thus established the Electoral College as a process for electing the president. The Electoral College is a mechanism where state legislators select electors, whose votes determine the winner of presidential elections. The number of electors for each state corresponds to the state's total number of Congressional representatives (representatives in the House and senators in the Senate). This system ensures that both large and small states have a say in the election of the president.

The creation of the Electoral College was a compromise between those who wanted the general public to elect the president and those who believed that the public was uneducated and unfit to make such a decision. The Electoral College provided a middle ground, allowing indirect election of the president by electors chosen by state legislators. This compromise allowed the Constitutional Convention to move forward and ultimately led to the successful creation of the US Constitution.

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