The Virginia Plan had proposed a bicameral legislative plan to favor states with high human population and disfavor the states in the United State with small population. Each states number of representatives in the two chamber were determined by percentages of the state’s contribution, the national contribution and population size quotas, to the national development (Madison Debate 13; Madison Debate 15).
The states with high population supported the Virginia plan. However, the states with low population, which feared losing the self-governance powers, opposed it. Instead, they embraced the New Jersey plan. The New Jersey plan was single chambered. Every state had a single vote regardless of its size as stipulated under Article of Confederation (Madison Debate 13; Madison Debate 15).
Virginia Plan
Branches
The Virginia plan had three legislative branches, which include legislative, executive, and judicial. The legislature was more powerful than others as it was authorized to elect the executive and judicial sections (Madison Debate 13).
Legislatures
Two parliamentary houses characterized the Virginia plan of the legislature where citizens elected the members of the House of Representatives while the legislature elected the Senate (Madison Debate 13).
Supplementary Supremacies
The Virginia plan allowed United State the powers to regulate any trade happening between the states, abolish unconstitutional laws, and authorize armed forces to put into effect any law (Madison Debate 13).
New Jersey
Branches
The New Jersey plan had three legislature branches, which consists of legislative, executive, and the judicial. The legislature appointed members working in the executive branch. The executive branch elected those working as justices in the Supreme Court (Madison Debate 15).
Legislature
The New Jersey plan of legislature was unicameral. Representation of single states was equal to ensure no state was exercising higher power than other states in the United State (Madison Debate 15).
Supplementary Supremacies
The New Jersey plan required the United State to approve the national legislature to authorize laws powerful than the laws of any state in the United State and impose levies, import duties, and control inter-states trade.
My Opinion
The New Jersey plan allowed more power to the new federal government. The New Jersey plan of the United State government disallowed the state with high population to acquire higher powers than the states with poor population.
Besides, it opposed employment of the two parliamentary chambers. This enhanced meaningful political reforms. By this plan, there occurs reduction in incidents negatively affecting the state when making those political transformations.
Furthermore, the New Jersey plan ensured the power between individual states was equal. It was a copy of the current state of the powers in the United Nations in emphasizing the fact that individual states were independent states.
A state freely and individually joined the United State. Therefore, other states in the United State should not interfere with her powers due to indifferences in population size. It also allowed the United State to regulate trade and taxes charged within every United State member (Madison Debate 13; Madison Debate 15).
However, single benefit was forgone in the New Jersey plan. For instance, having the two parliamentary chambers would provide benefit to the states, especially when the government is performing poorly in the economic growth. That is, the bicameral legislation plan would provide checks and adequate balance, which withholds the passing of poorly determined legislations.
Bibliography
Madison Debate 13. “In Committee of the Whole.” Yale University Law School, 1787. Debate. Web.
Madison Debate 15. “In Committee of the Whole.” Yale University Law School, 1787. Debate. Web.