The Importance of the New Jersey Plan in American Government Development
Why did delegates of smaller states support the New Jersey Plan at the Constitutional Convention?
A. The New Jersey Plan included a bicameral legislature.
B. The New Jersey Plan left power in the hands of the states.
C. The New Jersey Plan divided the central government into three branches.
D. The New Jersey Plan gave all states the same number of representatives.
Final answer: Delegates from smaller states supported the New Jersey Plan because it provided equal representation for all states, regardless of size. It maintained the confederal nature of American government, retaining significant power within the states. It also proposed a three-tier government system.
The delegates from smaller states supported the New Jersey Plan at the Constitutional Convention primarily because it advocated equal representation for each state, regardless of its size or population. This plan proposed a unicameral Congress in which each state, regardless of size, had the same single vote. This aspect of the New Jersey Plan was particularly appealing to smaller states. These states feared that they would be overshadowed by the larger states, which would have more representatives and thus more influence in a bicameral legislature grounded on proportional representation, as was the case with the Virginia Plan.
Another attractive feature of the plan for smaller states was that it maintained the confederal nature of American government by keeping a significant amount of power in the hands of the states. It also divided the central government into three branches - executive, legislative, and judicial, maintaining a balance of power.