The New Jersey Plan in the Formation of the United States Government

The New Jersey Plan called for?

The New Jersey Plan was a proposal presented during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. It was put forward by William Paterson of New Jersey in response to the Virginia Plan. The New Jersey Plan called for a unicameral legislature, meaning there would be only one house of Congress where each state would have an equal vote. This was in contrast to the Virginia Plan, which called for a bicameral legislature with representation based on population. Additionally, the New Jersey Plan proposed the creation of executive committees rather than an executive branch that would lead the government. The plan aimed to protect the power and representation of smaller states in the new government by ensuring that each state had an equal say in the legislative process. Despite not being ultimately adopted, elements of the New Jersey Plan, such as equal representation in the Senate, were incorporated into the final Constitution through the Great Compromise.

The key points of the New Jersey Plan included:

The New Jersey plan called for one house of Congress and executive committees rather than an executive branch would lead.

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