Question

Under the New Jersey Plan, membership in the unicameral legislature would be _______________.

a) Based on population size, giving more representation to larger states.
b) Equal for all states, regardless of their size or population.
c) Determined by the governor of each state.
d) Appointed by the President of the United States.

Answer 1

Under the New Jersey Plan, each state would have equal representation in the unicameral legislature, despite size or population.

Step-by-step explanation:

Under the New Jersey Plan, membership in the unicameral legislature would be b) Equal for all states, regardless of their size or population. The plan, put forth by New Jersey delegate William Paterson, called for equal representation in a one-house Congress, countering the Virginia Plan, which proposed representation based on population. This was an attempt to ensure that smaller states had the same legislative power as larger states. After significant debate, the Constitutional framers reached the Great Compromise, which created a bicameral Congress with equal representation in the Senate and representation by population in the House of Representatives.