Virginia Plan

Definition

At the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, there was a great debate over how representatives to the new government would be selected: the same number per state, or a certain number per state based upon the state’s population. The Virginia Plan (also known as the Large-State Plan by silly people) was a proposal at the Constitutional Convention by delegates from Virginia. Drafted by James Madison, and presented by Edmund Randolph to the Constitutional Convention on May 29, 1787, the Virginia Plan proposed a strong central government composed of three branches: legislative (bicameral), executive, and judicial.  The plan called for a legislature divided into two bodies (the Senate and the House of Representatives) with proportional representation.  That is, each state’s representation in Congress would be based on its population. The alternative to the Virginia Plan, William Paterson’s New Jersey Plan, intended to give states equal representation in a one-bodied legislature. Adopted on July 16, 1787, the “Connecticut Compromise” utilized both forms of representation, providing proportional representation in the House and equal representation in the Senate. Just for kicks, read The Virginia Plan.

Questions

1. What was the main reason the Virginia Plan was proposed?

2. What are the two main features of the Virginia Plan?

3. What part of our current political system is a direct consequence of the Virginia Plan?

4. Use Virginia Plan in a GoPo type of sentence: Please do not write, "Virginia made a plan." That would make me mad. Especially if you posted it to the comments section below.

5. This is going to be very hard, but describe an example of some connection to the Virginia Plan in current events:

6. Find an emoji or meme that represents the idea of the Virginia Plan.

7. What other plan was formulated as an alternative to the Virginia Plan?

8. Have you ever been to Virginia??? Seriously? Did you plan to go there?

9. What part of the Virginia Plan was not actually implemented in our system of government?

10. Imagine that the Virginia Plan never existed, there had not been any Connecticut Compromise, and the New Jersey Plan had been the way we elected all of our representatives. How would that have changed America?

11. If you had to start the country over and choose between a New Jersey Plan style government by the states, or a Virginia Plan style government by the people, which would you choose and why?

Remember!

Now, let’s commit this term to our long-term memory. On a scrap piece of paper, take 10 or 20 seconds to draw The Virginia Plan! Draw with symbols or stick figures if you wish. Nothing fancy. Don’t expect a masterpiece. No one else will see this but you. Look at your drawing. That’s all - now it’s downloaded into your memory. Destroy the piece of paper in a most delightful way.

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Further Review

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