Simone Lawson
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The purpose of the Great Compromise was to resolve the fierce dispute between states of different sizes and their representation in the new national legislature. The compromise created a bicameral legislature, with the House of Representatives having seats proportional to each state's population and the Senate having equal representation, with two senators from each state. This balanced the interests and powers of both large and small states, ensuring they could agree on a unified legislative structure and allowing for the development of the United States Constitution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To ensure representation in Congress |
| Type of legislature | Bicameral |
| House of Representatives | Proportional to each state's population |
| Senate | Equal representation for each state |
| Outcome | Unified legislative structure balancing interests of large and small states |
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What You'll Learn
- The Great Compromise created a bicameral legislature
- It resolved the dispute over representation between large and small states
- The agreement allowed the development of the United States Constitution to continue
- It established a dual system of congressional representation
- The Great Compromise balanced the power between large and small states
The Great Compromise created a bicameral legislature
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The Compromise was proposed by Roger Sherman of Connecticut, and it addressed the contentious issue of how states would be represented in the new national legislature. The agreement created a bicameral legislature, meaning there would be two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate.
In the House of Representatives, each state would be assigned a number of seats in proportion to its population. This allowed states with larger populations to have more influence in this chamber. The House of Representatives would also be elected by the people.
On the other hand, the Senate would have equal representation for each state, with two senators from each state regardless of its population. This protected the interests of smaller states, as they would have equal power in the Senate. Initially, state legislatures chose Senators, but in 1913, the 17th Amendment was passed, allowing people to elect Senators directly.
The Great Compromise was crucial in resolving the intense debate between states favoring the Virginia Plan, which advocated for representation based on population, and those favoring the New Jersey Plan, which called for equal representation. This compromise allowed for a unified legislative structure that balanced the interests of both large and small states. It also required approval from both houses for a law to become enacted, further balancing power between large and small states.
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It resolved the dispute over representation between large and small states
The Great Compromise, also known as the Sherman Compromise or the Connecticut Compromise, resolved the dispute over representation between large and small states. The dispute was between states with larger populations demanding congressional representation based on population and smaller states demanding equal representation. The former believed that their states contributed more of the nation's financial and defensive resources and hence should have a greater say in the central government. The smaller states, on the other hand, argued that representation based on population would lead to an unfair dominance of larger states in the new nation's government.
The disagreement over representation threatened to derail the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, with delegates from both sides vowing to reject the document if their demands were not met. The solution came in the form of a proposal by Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut, combining the Virginia (large state) plan and the New Jersey (small state) plan. According to the Great Compromise, there would be two national legislatures in a bicameral Congress. The House of Representatives would be allocated according to each state's population and elected by the people, while the Senate would have two representatives from each state, regardless of its size.
This compromise satisfied the concerns of both large and small states, allowing the development of the United States Constitution to continue. It also balanced the power between the two, as approval from both houses was required for a law to be enacted. The Great Compromise thus played a crucial role in resolving the dispute over representation and shaping the country's legislative branch, with the small states having more power in the Senate and the large states in the House of Representatives.
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The agreement allowed the development of the United States Constitution to continue
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. This agreement was proposed by Roger Sherman of Connecticut, and it addressed the contentious issue of how states would be represented in the new national legislature. The compromise was crucial as it resolved the intense debate between states favoring the Virginia Plan (which advocated for representation based on population) and those favoring the New Jersey Plan (which called for equal representation).
The Great Compromise allowed the development of the United States Constitution to continue. The delegates from the large states believed that because their states contributed proportionally more to the nation's financial and defensive resources, they should enjoy proportionally greater representation in the Senate as well as in the House. Small-state delegates, on the other hand, demanded that all states be equally represented in both houses. The Great Compromise facilitated the creation of a bicameral Congress, balancing representation between states of different sizes. It established a bicameral legislature, with the House of Representatives having seats proportional to each state's population and the Senate having two senators from each state. This compromise resolved the dispute over representation between large and small states and helped establish a balanced system of government.
The Great Compromise was pivotal as it facilitated the creation of a bicameral Congress, with two national legislatures. It allowed for a unified legislative structure that balanced the interests of both large and small states. The agreement created today's system of congressional representation, now influencing everything from "pork barrel" legislation to the way votes are counted in the electoral college during presidential elections. The compromise also stated that approval from both houses was required for a law to become enacted, balancing the power between large and small states.
The Great Compromise was a crucial agreement that allowed for the development of the United States Constitution. It resolved the intense debate between large and small states over representation in the legislature and established a balanced system of government with two national legislatures. The compromise also influenced the way congressional representation is structured today and how votes are counted in the electoral college.
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It established a dual system of congressional representation
The Great Compromise, also known as the Sherman Compromise or the Connecticut Compromise, was an agreement forged during a heated dispute at the 1787 Constitutional Convention. The dispute was between states with larger populations, who wanted congressional representation based on population, and smaller states, who demanded equal representation.
The Great Compromise established a dual system of congressional representation, with two national legislatures in a bicameral Congress. This meant that in the House of Representatives, members would be allocated according to each state's population and would be elected by the people. In the second body, the Senate, each state would have two representatives, regardless of the state's size, and state legislatures would choose Senators. This allowed the development of the United States Constitution to continue, as the debate over representation had stalled its progress.
The House of Representatives would thus grant states a number of representatives proportionate to their population, while the Senate would grant two representatives for each state. This satisfied the concerns of both large and small states in the debate over representation in the legislature. It also allowed large states to hold the most power in the House of Representatives and small states to hold the most power in the Senate, balancing the power between the two.
The Great Compromise has had a lasting impact on the political landscape of the United States. It has resulted in states with smaller populations having a disproportionately bigger voice in the nation's Congress, as each state has equal representation in the Senate, regardless of population size. This has led to certain interests in smaller states, such as mining or farming, receiving more attention and funding from federal sources. The equal-state representation in the Senate is specifically protected in the Constitution, and it is unlikely to ever change.
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The Great Compromise balanced the power between large and small states
The Great Compromise, also known as the Sherman Compromise or the Connecticut Compromise, was proposed by statesmen Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut. It was forged in a heated dispute during the 1787 Constitutional Convention, where states with larger populations demanded congressional representation based on population, while smaller states wanted equal representation. The Compromise combined proposals from the Virginia (large state) plan and the New Jersey (small state) plan.
The Compromise also stated that approval from both houses was required for a law to be enacted, further balancing the power between large and small states. This agreement created today's system of congressional representation, influencing everything from "pork barrel" legislation to the way votes are counted in the electoral college during presidential elections.
One of the main lingering political effects of the Great Compromise is that states with smaller populations have a disproportionately bigger voice in the nation's Congress. For example, California has about 68 times more people than Wyoming, yet they have the same number of votes in the Senate. This imbalance of power favoring smaller states in the Senate means that interests in those states, such as mining in West Virginia or hog farming in Iowa, are more likely to receive attention and funding from the federal government.
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Frequently asked questions
The Great Compromise was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 to resolve the dispute between large and small states over representation in the new national legislature.
At the time of the convention, states' populations varied, and there was a heated dispute between states with larger populations demanding congressional representation based on population, and smaller states demanding equal representation.
The Great Compromise established a bicameral legislature, with the House of Representatives having seats proportional to each state's population and the Senate having two senators from each state, regardless of population size.
The Great Compromise was crucial in allowing for the adoption of the US Constitution, as it provided a unified legislative structure that balanced the interests of both large and small states.
Roger Sherman of Connecticut proposed the Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, which combined elements of the Virginia (large state) plan and the New Jersey (small state) plan to address the issue of representation.
