The Great Compromise

The Great Compromise and the Constitutional Convention

  • At the 1787 Constitutional Convention, US lawmakers resolved the issue of state representation in the federal government with the Great Compromise.

  • This compromise shaped the current US government structure.

The Connecticut Plan (Great Compromise) and its authors

  • Authored by Connecticut delegates Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth, it's also known as the Connecticut Plan.

  • It merged concepts from the Virginia Plan (population-based representation) and the New Jersey Plan (equal state representation).

  • This led to a bicameral legislature.

Structure of Congress under the Great Compromise

  • Congress is bicameral with two chambers:

    • House of Representatives: Representation proportional to state population.

    • Senate: Equal representation with 22 senators per state.

  • This design balances the influence of large and small states.

Significance

  • Resolved tensions between large and small states, enabling a functioning national government.

  • Integrated federalism and checks and balances, ensuring balanced legislative power.

Current Representation

  • The Great Compromise persists; census data determines House representation (e.g., California has 5252 members, seven states have only one).

  • Every state maintains 22 senators.

Practical and Ethical Implications

  • Aims to balance effective governance with fair representation for all states.

  • Shapes policy priorities by distributing legislative power.

  • Raises ethical questions regarding fairness between populous and smaller states, and state sovereignty.

Connections to Broader Principles

  • Federalism: Divides power between national and state governments.

  • Checks and balances: Distributes legislative power across chambers.

  • Underpins foundational principles of representation, legitimacy, and the balance between democracy and equality.