Question

During the continental congress, two plans were put forth to create a design for congress. which of the following best describes how congress would be designed, according to the Virginia plan?

a) there would be one house, and representatives would be chosen according to the number of people who lived in each state.
b) there would be two houses, and representatives would be chosen according to the number of people who lived in each state.
c) there would be one house, and every state would have the same number of representatives regardless of the population.
d) there would be two houses, and every state would have the same number of representatives regardless of the population.

Answer 1

The Virginia Plan called for a bicameral legislature with representation in both houses based on state population, leading to more influence for larger states.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Virginia Plan was a proposal put forth during the Constitutional Convention which suggested the formation of a bicameral legislature. Under the Virginia Plan, representation in both houses of Congress would be based on the population of each state. In line with this plan, the selection process would involve voters directly electing representatives to the lower house, while the upper house's representatives would be chosen by those in the lower house from a list created by the state legislatures.

This proposal was in contrast to the New Jersey Plan that advocated for a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state, regardless of population size. Ultimately, the Great Compromise was reached, which combined elements of both plans, leading to the current structure where we have a House of Representatives with representation based on population and a Senate with equal representation from each state.