Virginia Plan

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A proposal by Virginia delegates during the Constitutional Convention of !"!, the Virginia Plan
#also kno$n as the %arge &tate Plan' $as notable for its role in setting the overall agenda for
debate in the convention and, in particular, for setting forth the idea of population($eighted
representation in the proposed )ational %egislature*
+he Constitutional Convention gathered in Philadelphia to revise and enlarge the Articles of
Confederation, $hich had produced a $eak and inade,uate national government* +he Virginia
delegation took the initiative to frame the debate by immediately dra$ing up and presenting a
proposal, for $hich delegate James -adison is given chief credit*./ 0t $as, ho$ever, 1dmund
2andolph, another Virginia delegate, $ho officially put it before the convention on -ay 34,
!"!, in the form of 5 resolutions.3/*
+he scope of the resolutions, by going $ell beyond tinkering $ith the Articles of Confederation,
succeeded in broadening the debate to encompass fundamental revisions to the structure and
po$ers of the national government* +he resolutions proposed, for e6ample, a ne$ form of
national government having three branches7legislative, e6ecutive and 8udicial*
+his plan set the Convention9s initial agenda* After 2andolph introduced it and the Convention
discussed it, delegates found it almost impossible to think about the Articles of Confederation
in the same $ay**.:/
;ne contentious issue facing the convention $as the manner in $hich large and small states
$ould be represented in the legislature, $hether by e,ual representation for each state,
regardless of its si<e and population, or by proportional representation, in $hich larger states
$ould have a larger voice* =nder the Articles of Confederation, each state $as represented in
Congress by one vote*
+he Virginia Plan proposed instead a legislative branch consisting of t$o chambers #bicameral
legislature', in each of $hich the states $ould be represented in proportion to their >?uotas of
contribution, or to the number of free inhabitants*@.A/ &tates $ith a large population, like
Virginia #$hich $as the most populous state at the time', $ould thus have more
representatives than smaller states* %arge states supported this plan, and smaller states,
$hich feared to lose substantial po$er in the national government, generally opposed it,
preferring an alternative put for$ard by the )e$ Jersey delegation on June 5* +he )e$ Jersey
Plan proposed a single(chamber legislature in $hich each state, regardless of si<e, $ould have
one vote, as under the Articles of Confederation* 0n the end, the convention settled on the so(
called Connecticut Compromise, creating a Bouse of 2epresentatives apportioned by
population and a &enate in $hich each state is e,ually represented*
0n addition to dealing $ith legislative representation, the Virginia Plan addressed other issues,
as $ell, $ith many provisions not making it into the Constitution that emerged* 0t called for a
national government of three branches7legislative, e6ecutive, and 8udicial* -embers of one of
the t$o legislative chambers $ould be elected by the peopleC members of that chamber $ould
then elect the second chamber from nominations submitted by state legislatures* +he
16ecutive $ould be chosen by the legislative branch* +erms of office $ere unspecified,
although the 16ecutive and members of the popularly elected legislative chamber $ere to be
limited to one term* +he legislative branch $ould have the po$er to negate state la$s in cases
in $hich they $ere deemed incompatible $ith the articles of union* +he concept of checks and
balances $as embodied in a provision that legislative acts could be vetoed by a council
composed of the 16ecutive and selected members of the 8udicial branchC their veto could be
overridden by an unspecified legislative ma8ority*