Final answer:
The Great Compromise formed a bicameral legislature with the Senate representing states equally and the House based on population. The Senate has two senators from each state, while the House's 435 seats are apportioned by population, reflecting a balance between large and small states.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Great Compromise and Representation
The Great Compromise of 1787 resolved the debate over congressional representation by establishing a bicameral legislature with two distinct chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate represents the states equally, with each state having two senators, regardless of population, a concept derived from the New Jersey Plan. This structure was meant to balance the power between large and small states. Senators were originally appointed by state legislatures to represent state interests and serve a six-year term. In contrast, the House of Representatives bases its representation on the state's population, reflecting the Virginia Plan's influence, where members are elected by the voters and serve for two years.
The Structure of Congress is such that while the number of representatives (435) is constant after the Apportionment Act of 1911, the distribution among the states changes based on the decennial census. Each state is guaranteed at least one representative, and the remaining seats are allocated according to population. This ensures that states with larger populations have more influence in the House, whereas all states have equal influence in the Senate.
Moreover, the Constitution mandates equal treatment for all states, prohibiting discrimination in taxation and preserving state boundaries and sovereignty within the federation.
Thus, the Great Compromise reflects a foundational balance in American constitutional design, combining equal state representation with proportional representation, and containing concerns over too much direct democracy by having the Senate less directly tied to the popular vote at its inception.