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The Council shall consist of two Burgesses out of every town, to be respectively chosen by the Inhabitants: Which Council shall be called THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. And this General Assembly shall have free Power to… make, ordain, and enact general Laws and Orders for the said Colony. --Virginia House of Burgesses

Which idea from the Virginia House of Burgesses do we see in our representative government today?

User Beekeeper
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Final answer:

The idea from the Virginia House of Burgesses that we see in today's representative government is the concept of elected officials representing the interests of the people, which set the foundation for modern legislative bodies in the United States.

Step-by-step explanation:

The idea from the Virginia House of Burgesses that we see in our representative government today is the notion of elected representation.

The Virginia House of Burgesses had two representatives, known as Burgesses, elected for each settlement area, reflecting early forms of democracy where members of the government were chosen by the people to represent their interests.

As the first group of elected representatives in North America, this body set a precedent for the representative assemblies that would later become a fundamental aspect of the United States' political system.

Over time, the House of Burgesses evolved to include two representatives from each growing county, plus additional representatives for towns and institutions such as the College of William and Mary. It eventually became part of the Virginia General Assembly, with its own legislative powers.

The system of elected representation and self-governance introduced by the Virginia House of Burgesses laid the groundwork for our modern-day legislative bodies, where elected officials are responsible for enacting laws for the common good.

User Small Talk
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