Why did the Great compromise established a two house legislature?
The Senate represents each state equally, no matter its population. The House represents each person equally. States with small populations have one representative; states with large populations have as many as 53 representatives.
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The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 in Philadelphia. It established a two-house legislature, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives, in order to address the disagreement between large and small states regarding representation in the federal government. Here are the steps that led to the establishment of a two-house legislature:
1. Background: The Constitutional Convention was held to address the shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation, the first governing document of the United States. One of the major issues was the representation of states in the federal government.
2. Virginia Plan: The large states, led by Virginia, proposed the Virginia Plan, which favored a legislative body with representation based on state population. This meant that larger states would have greater influence in the federal government.
3. New Jersey Plan: The small states, led by New Jersey, objected to the Virginia Plan, as they believed it would lead to domination by the larger states. In response, they proposed the New Jersey Plan, which called for equal representation for all states in the legislative body.
4. Stalemate: The delegates were deadlocked, with neither the Virginia Plan nor the New Jersey Plan gaining sufficient support. This created a difficult situation, as both large and small states were unwilling to compromise on their interests.
5. The Compromise: Roger Sherman of Connecticut proposed a plan that became known as the Connecticut Compromise, or the Great Compromise. It sought to reconcile the differences between the Virginia and New Jersey Plans.
6. The Two-House Legislature: The Great Compromise established a bicameral legislature. The House of Representatives was based on population, providing representation proportional to a state's population. The Senate, on the other hand, had equal representation, with each state having two senators.
7. Ratification: The Great Compromise was eventually ratified by the delegates of the Constitutional Convention, and it remains a fundamental aspect of the United States' government structure.
The two-house legislature established by the Great Compromise aimed to balance the interests of both large and small states, ensuring that both had a say in the federal government. This compromise helped to alleviate the concerns of smaller states, while still allowing the larger states to have a significant influence.
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was a key agreement reached during the drafting of the United States Constitution in 1787. It successfully resolved the ongoing debate between the large and small states over representation in the national legislature.
The main concern of the smaller states was that the larger states would dominate the legislature due to their bigger population and subsequently have more power. On the other hand, the larger states felt that representation should be based on population, as they would have a greater share of responsibilities and contributions to the new federal government.
To bridge this divide, the Great Compromise proposed a two-house legislature, which became known as the bicameral system. This compromise blended elements from both the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan, which were two competing proposals for representation.
The first house of the legislature, the House of Representatives, would be based on the population of each state. This satisfied the larger states, as they would have more representatives and thus more influence in this chamber.
The second house, the Senate, would be composed of an equal number of representatives from each state, regardless of population. This pleased the smaller states, as it ensured that every state would have an equal say in this chamber.
The two-house legislature struck a balance between the interests of larger and smaller states, ensuring that neither group would have complete supremacy. It became a fundamental structure of the American political system, allowing for both proportional representation and equal state representation.
In essence, the Great Compromise established a two-house legislature as a compromise between the competing interests of larger and smaller states, providing a fair and balanced representation in the new federal government.