Definitions
The establishment of the United States and the need for a new government plan led to the creation of several key concepts, such as the Virginia Plan, the New Jersey Plan, the Great Compromise, and the Three-Fifths Compromise.
The Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan
The Virginia Plan, proposed by James Madison and discussed at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 (Shelley et al., 2018), suggested a bicameral legislature with representatives from each state being determined by population. In contrast, the New Jersey Plan proposed that each state have an equal number of votes in Congress, regardless of population, unlike the Virginia Plan.
The Great Compromise and the 3/5th Compromise
Shelley et al., in “American Government and Politics Today” (2018), explain that the Great Compromise of 1787, referred to as the Sherman Compromise, was a binding agreement between the large and small states to determine each state’s representation under the United States Constitution. This compromise, made in 1787, was instrumental in replacing the Articles of Confederation by incorporating elements of the Virginia Plan into the new Constitution.
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement negotiated at the Constitutional Convention that allowed the Southern states to count a portion of their enslaved population for taxation and representation (Shelley et al., 2018). Certain issues of the US government were not decided at the Constitutional Convention. Some states would not have ratified the Constitution without the amendment’s guarantee. There were no limits on the state government’s powers in the management plans.
Checks and Balances and Separation of Powers
Description
The Constitution divides the powers of government into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The system of checks and balances ensures that no one branch holds too much power over the others. The separation of powers was established in the Constitution to prevent any individual or branch of government from becoming dominant. This system was implemented to balance the government and prevent any branch from having too much power.
Examples
As stated by Shelley et al. in “American Government and Politics Today” (2018), the United States Government has a system to prevent any branch from gaining too much power. One example is the legislative branch’s ability to override the executive branch’s veto and the judiciary’s power to invalidate unconstitutional laws. The separation of powers is demonstrated through the executive branch enforcing laws, the legislative branch creating laws, and the judicial branch interpreting laws. Real-world examples of this concept can be seen in the President’s veto power and Congress’s capability to override it.
Work Cited
Shelley, Mack C., et al. American Government and Politics Today. United States, Cengage Learning, 2018.