Virginia Plan
What Was the Virginia Plan?
The Virginia Plan was a series of fifteen resolutions presented by Edmund Randolph at the 1787 Constitutional Convention (Barbara Bardes et al., 2019)(Francis D. Cogliano et al., 2010). Drafted primarily by James Madison, it proposed a radical departure from the Articles of Confederation by establishing a supreme national government (Jack N. Rakove et al., 2009)(Rufus S. Davis et al., 2023). The plan was instrumental in shifting the convention's focus from merely amending existing laws to creating an entirely new constitutional framework for the United States (Kenneth Janda et al., 2019).
Historical Context and Origins
The Virginia Plan emerged as a remedy for the perceived "radical defects" of the Articles of Confederation, which created a weak league of states with a single branch of government (John R. Vile et al., 2005). James Madison sought to address the "injustice" of state lawmaking and the national government's crippling dependence on individual states (Jack N. Rakove et al., 2009). By presenting this plan first, the Virginia delegation successfully set the convention's agenda, forcing delegates to debate a strong national model (John R. Vile et al., 2005).
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Key Provisions and Structure
The Virginia Plan proposed a government divided into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial (Kenneth Janda et al., 2019). It called for a bicameral legislature where representation in both houses was based on population or wealth, favoring larger states (Barbara Bardes et al., 2019)(Jack N. Rakove et al., 2009). Crucially, it granted the national legislature the power to veto state laws that conflicted with the articles of union, effectively creating a "Machtstaat" or dominant central power over the states (Shlomo Slonim et al., 2017)(Donald J Fraser et al., n.d.).
Impact and Historical Significance
The Virginia Plan's emphasis on proportional representation caused "immense consternation" among smaller states, who feared they would be dominated by more populous ones (Barbara Bardes et al., 2019)(Christopher Collier et al., 2012). This friction led to the introduction of the New Jersey Plan and the eventual "Great Compromise" (John R. Vile et al., 2005)(Barbara Bardes et al., 2019). Despite significant debate and revision, the basic structure of the Virginia Plan—including the three-branch system and bicameralism—remained the foundation of the final United States Constitution (John R. Vile et al., 2005).
