Stephanie L. answered • 04/17/20
Harvard Law Student & Government Major with Elementary Experience
The Great Compromise settled the conflict between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan over how much representation each state would have in Congress.
The Virginia plan proposed a legislature with two branches where representation in both branches was determined by population. (This plan preferred large states). The New Jersey plan proposed one legislative body where each state received equal representation. (This plan preferred small states).
The Great Compromise led to the system we have now, where we have two branches of the legislature, and representation in one of them (the House of Representatives) is decided by the population of a state, and in the other (the Senate) each state receives equal representation (2 senators).
