Which plan proposed representation in Congress based on population and contributed to the Great Compromise?

Which plan proposed representation in Congress based on population and contributed to the Great Compromise?

• A. The Virginia Plan
• B. The New Jersey Plan
• C. The Connecticut Plan
• D. The Hamilton Plan

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is representation in Congress based on population. The Virginia Plan argued for a two-house legislature with representation in both houses apportioned by each state’s population. This meant larger states would have more seats, which sparked strong opposition from smaller states and set up the push for a compromise. That tension led to the Great Compromise, which created a bicameral Congress: the House of Representatives would be based on population, while the Senate would give each state equal representation. So the Virginia Plan is the plan most directly connected to population-based representation and to the drive toward the compromise that shaped the final structure of Congress. The New Jersey Plan favored equal representation regardless of population, which is why it doesn’t fit the description; the Connecticut Plan contributed to the compromise but is best understood as the blend that resulted from debates sparked by the population-based approach.

The main idea here is representation in Congress based on population. The Virginia Plan argued for a two-house legislature with representation in both houses apportioned by each state’s population. This meant larger states would have more seats, which sparked strong opposition from smaller states and set up the push for a compromise. That tension led to the Great Compromise, which created a bicameral Congress: the House of Representatives would be based on population, while the Senate would give each state equal representation. So the Virginia Plan is the plan most directly connected to population-based representation and to the drive toward the compromise that shaped the final structure of Congress. The New Jersey Plan favored equal representation regardless of population, which is why it doesn’t fit the description; the Connecticut Plan contributed to the compromise but is best understood as the blend that resulted from debates sparked by the population-based approach.