Fabiola Vasquez

Pols 001

Introductions to American Government

The Virginia Plan

The Virginia plan was also known as the Randolph Plan, after it was proposed by governor of
Virginia, Edmund Jennings Randolph. James Madison was the first to draft this plan while
waiting for the convention to begin in 1787. This plan would benefit larger states at the time,
such as Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, as the representation for each
state would be based on each state population. Congress now had the power to negate state
laws. This plan also included the three branches of government, the executive, the judicial and
legislative. Congress chose the executive branch. The purpose of the executive branch was to
enforce laws. The interpreter of laws, was selected by congress well as a separate judiciary.
This plan also gave the judiciary branch to have some limited power to reject laws. A strong
central government was favored with legislature having power to make decisions over the
state.

New Jersey Plan

New Jersey delegate, William Patterson introduced the New Jersey Plan. Smaller states
benefited from the plan because the number of representatives would be the same for each
state. Without this plan, in comparison larger states would have more power and not all states
would not be equally represented. This plan gave congress the power to collect taxes of
citizens and collect tax for every three fifths of a slave, apply tariffs, and give them the power
to control interstate commerce such as trades. The powers that the executive branch would
have would to force states to obey the law. If states didnt obey the executive branch had the
power to use military as a force against them. The power to impeachment would be under a
separate judiciary branch. With the New Jersey Plan, the state government would have less
power than the national government. This plan proposed for a strong centralized government
but the state could resume back the power themselves if the national government abused their
power.

Connecticut/Great Compromise

The Connecticut or Great Compromise was proposed by Oliver Ellsworth and Rodger Sherman.
This plan proposed a two-house legislature, consisting of a house of representatives and a
senate. This plan adopted the Virginia plan and the New Jersey Plan. The smaller states were
benefited because each state would have an equal number of senate. The larger states
benefited because each state would have a House of representatives based on state
population. Congress had the power to collect taxes and would become the law maker in
todays society. The powers that executive had was making bills into laws and having the
power to veto any bills. They also had the power and authority to appoint the supreme court
judge but must first be confirmed by the senate. There would be a separate judiciary and
interpreter of law as the state court will first receive and review the case before it reach the
supreme court. This today remains the same having the state rules under the national rule.
 Works Cited

Estes, Todd. "The Connecticut effect: the great compromise of 1787 and the history of
small state impact on Electoral College outcomes." The Historian 73, no. 2 (2011):
255+. U.S. History in Context (accessed September 10, 2017).
https://login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com.ezp.pasadena.edu/a
pps/doc/A260060595/UHIC?u=pasa19871&xid=6e4ee54a.

Rappaport, Michael B. "The constitutionality of a limited convention: an originalist

analysis." Constitutional Commentary, Spring 2012, 83+. U.S. History in Context (accessed
September 10, 2017).
https://login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com.ezp.pasadena.edu/a
pps/doc/A296836959/UHIC?u=pasa19871&xid=22e697c3.

"The New Jersey, or Paterson, Plan." In West's Encyclopedia of American Law, 2nd ed.,
edited by Shirelle Phelps and Jeffrey Lehman, 110-111. Vol. 12. Detroit: Gale,
2005. U.S. History in Context (accessed September 10, 2017).
https://login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com.ezp.pasadena.edu/a
pps/doc/CX3437704861/UHIC?u=pasa19871&xid=e64a4d08.