![]() The founders also took pains to establish the relationship between the States. The plan also called for an independent judiciary. In the end, they settled on the Great Compromise (sometimes called the Connecticut Compromise), in which the House of Representatives would represent the people as apportioned by population the Senate would represent the States apportioned equally and the President would be elected by the Electoral College. The Virginia Plan was supported by the larger States, and the New Jersey plan preferred by the smaller. Two plans competed to become the new government: the Virginia Plan, which apportioned representation based on the population of each State, and the New Jersey plan, which gave each State an equal vote in Congress. Much of the debate, which was conducted in secret to ensure that delegates spoke their minds, focused on the form that the new legislature would take. The powers of each branch are enumerated in the Constitution, with powers not assigned to them reserved to the States. This concern arose largely out of the experience that the delegates had with the King of England and his powerful Parliament. One way that this was accomplished was to separate the power of government into three branches, and then to include checks and balances on those powers to assure that no one branch of government gained supremacy. The Constitutional ConventionĪ chief aim of the Constitution as drafted by the Convention was to create a government with enough power to act on a national level, but without so much power that fundamental rights would be at risk. The delegates to the Constitutional Convention quickly began work on drafting a new Constitution for the United States. In May of that year, delegates from 12 of the 13 States (Rhode Island sent no representatives) convened in Philadelphia to begin the work of redesigning government. But any decision of consequence required a unanimous vote, which led to a government that was paralyzed and ineffectual.Ī movement to reform the Articles began, and invitations to attend a convention in Philadelphia to discuss changes to the Articles were sent to the State legislatures in 1787. Each State sent a delegation of between two and seven members to the Congress, and they voted as a bloc with each State getting one vote. Crucially, it could not raise any funds itself, and was entirely dependent on the States themselves for the money necessary to operate. This power was, however, extremely limited-the central government conducted diplomacy and made war, set weights and measures, and was the final arbiter of disputes between the States. The need for the Constitution grew out of problems with the Articles of Confederation, which established a “firm league of friendship” between the States, and vested most power in a Congress of the Confederation. Get Involved Show submenu for “Get Involved””.The White House Show submenu for “The White House””.Office of the United States Trade Representative. ![]()
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