Who originated the New Jersey Plan or Small State Plan during the Constitutional Convention?

Who originated the New Jersey Plan or Small State Plan during the Constitutional Convention?

• A. William Patterson
• B. James Madison
• C. Gouverneur Morris
• D. Roger Sherman

Answer: (A)

The plan being tested is the one that kept equal representation for every state in the new national legislature, a position favored by smaller states. William Paterson of New Jersey introduced the New Jersey Plan at the 1787 Constitutional Convention. His proposal called for a unicameral legislature where each state would have the same number of votes, preserving state sovereignty, while giving Congress power to tax and regulate commerce. This stood in contrast to the Virginia Plan, which proposed representation based on population and thus favored larger states. The eventual framework that blended different ideas was the Connecticut Compromise, creating a two-house Congress with equal representation in the Senate and representation by population in the House.

The plan being tested is the one that kept equal representation for every state in the new national legislature, a position favored by smaller states. William Paterson of New Jersey introduced the New Jersey Plan at the 1787 Constitutional Convention. His proposal called for a unicameral legislature where each state would have the same number of votes, preserving state sovereignty, while giving Congress power to tax and regulate commerce. This stood in contrast to the Virginia Plan, which proposed representation based on population and thus favored larger states. The eventual framework that blended different ideas was the Connecticut Compromise, creating a two-house Congress with equal representation in the Senate and representation by population in the House.