Compare And Contrast The Virginia Plan

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The Virginia plan was the first proposal that was largely created by James Madison creating a strong system that had a two house legislature, a chief executive chosen by the legislature, and a court system. The lower house was largely elected by the people. The people in the lower house then elected the people in the upper house. The people that were elected were the ones who then chose the ones who chose the person in the upper house. He also came up with the checks and balances which were very important for Madison was more of a federalist than an anti-federalist. The Virginia plan was favored by the large states because it was based on the population in each state because that would mean the more power they would have in each branch. The Virginia plan was mainly based on population for larger states. Which meant Virginia got more representation than the New Jersey plan. “His proposal for a federal power to override state laws never gained any traction. And his insistence that both branches of the legislature be based on population was …show more content…

Population does not determine how many votes they get and that would mean they are just as equal as the large state plan. “The so-called New Jersey Plan, presented by William Paterson of that state, called for a “federal” rather than a “national” government. Its essential feature — a single-house legislature in which each state was to have only one vote — seemed a reincarnation of the Articles of Confederation, but in fact it stipulated that the “federal Legislature” would be superior to those of the states and specifically gave to the central government a coercive power”. (Beeman) They came up with the plan that all states get an equal amount of representatives regardless of the state’s size. Equal representation was aimed for the smaller states. The executive branch has the power to name or assign a position in the judiciary. There is a seprate judiaciary and interprator of