Which plan proposed a bicameral legislature with representation based on population?

Study for the South Carolina U.S. History EOC Test. Enhance your skills with flashcards and multiple choice questions. Prepare effectively for your exam with comprehensive hints and explanations.

The Virginia Plan proposed a bicameral legislature with representation based on population, which was a key feature in addressing the imbalances of representation experienced under the Articles of Confederation. This plan was introduced during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and advocated for a stronger national government. It suggested that the number of representatives in both houses of the legislature should be determined by the population of each state, thus giving more populous states greater influence in the legislative process.

This approach was rooted in the belief that representation should be proportional to a state's size and population, ensuring that larger states had a voice that adequately reflected their demographic significance. This aspect of the Virginia Plan ultimately led to intense debates among the delegates, particularly between small and large states, and set the stage for further discussions, resulting in the Great Compromise, which balanced the needs for population-based representation with equal representation for smaller states.

The other plans mentioned, such as the New Jersey Plan, favored equal representation regardless of state size, while the Great Compromise itself was a resolution that merged elements of both the Virginia and New Jersey Plans. The Connecticut Compromise is another name for the Great Compromise, but they do not specifically propose the bicameral legislature based solely on population like the Virginia Plan does.

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