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Difficulty: EasyConstitutional Compromises

To prevent larger states from dominating the legislative branch, delegates at the Constitutional Convention agreed to a plan that established a Senate with equal representation for each state and a House of Representatives based on population. Which of the following compromises established this structure?

  1. A
    The Three-Fifths Compromise
  2. B
    The Electoral College
  3. The Great CompromiseAnswer
  4. D
    The Articles of Confederation's unicameral structure

Answer

The Great Compromise
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, successfully resolved the representation debate between highly populated and less populated states. It established a bicameral Congress consisting of the House of Representatives, where representation is based on state population, and the Senate, where each state receives exactly two senators regardless of size.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the conflict between small states and large states regarding congressional representation at the Constitutional Convention.
Large states wanted representation based on population size, while small states wanted equal representation for every state.
Understanding the two competing plans (Virginia and New Jersey plans) is necessary to recognize how they were integrated.
2
Determine how the two plans were combined.
A two-chamber (bicameral) Congress was created: the Senate gives each state two votes, and the House of Representatives bases seats on population.
This dual-representation compromise satisfied both large and small states.
3
Match the dual-representation system to its historical name.
This agreement is historically known as the Great Compromise or the Connecticut Compromise.
Correctly identifying the term completes the resolution of the question.

Key Concept

Constitutional Compromises
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Constitutional Compromises

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