Which plan proposed equal representation with each state having one vote in Congress?

Which plan proposed equal representation with each state having one vote in Congress?

• A. The Great Compromise
• B. New Jersey Plan
• C. Federalism
• D. Virginia Plan

Answer: (B)

The plan that called for equal representation with one vote per state was the New Jersey Plan. This approach was designed to protect smaller states by giving every state an equal voice in Congress, regardless of population, through a unicameral (one-house) legislature. The idea was that each state would have the same influence in national decisions, so smaller states wouldn’t be outnumbered by larger ones. This contrasts with the Virginia Plan, which proposed representation based on population in a bicameral (two-house) Congress, giving bigger states more influence. The Great Compromise later blended these ideas by creating two houses: a Senate with equal representation for each state and a House that apportions representatives by population. Federalism, meanwhile, is the broader idea of dividing power between national and state governments, not a specific method of representation in Congress.

The plan that called for equal representation with one vote per state was the New Jersey Plan. This approach was designed to protect smaller states by giving every state an equal voice in Congress, regardless of population, through a unicameral (one-house) legislature. The idea was that each state would have the same influence in national decisions, so smaller states wouldn’t be outnumbered by larger ones.

This contrasts with the Virginia Plan, which proposed representation based on population in a bicameral (two-house) Congress, giving bigger states more influence. The Great Compromise later blended these ideas by creating two houses: a Senate with equal representation for each state and a House that apportions representatives by population. Federalism, meanwhile, is the broader idea of dividing power between national and state governments, not a specific method of representation in Congress.