The New Jersey Plan and the Virginia Plan were two competing proposals during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that differed mainly in how states would be represented in the national legislature. Key Differences:
- The Virginia Plan proposed a strong national government with a bicameral legislature. Representation in both houses would be based on population or financial contributions of the states, thus favoring larger states.
- The New Jersey Plan advocated a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state, regardless of size or population, thus protecting the interests of smaller states.
The Connecticut Compromise later combined elements of both plans, creating a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House of Representatives (Virginia Plan idea) and equal representation for states in the Senate (New Jersey Plan idea).
