Which plan is described as the basis for the Great Compromise, combining equal representation in one house with proportional representation in the other?

• A. Virginia Plan
• B. New Jersey Plan
• C. Great Compromise
• D. Three-Fifths Compromise

Answer: (C)

The main idea being tested is how representation in Congress would be arranged to balance the interests of large and small states. The plan described is the Great Compromise. It created a two-house Congress: the Senate gives each state equal representation (two senators per state), while the House of Representatives gives representation based on population. This blend satisfied both sides at the Constitutional Convention—small states liked equal representation, and large states liked proportional representation.

This plan drew on two different proposals: the New Jersey Plan’s idea of equal representation and the Virginia Plan’s idea of proportional representation, but it combined them into a bicameral structure. The Virginia Plan aimed for proportional representation in both houses, which would have sidelined smaller states, while the New Jersey Plan favored equality in a single chamber. The Three-Fifths Compromise, another related issue, dealt with counting enslaved people for representation and taxation and isn’t about the two-house structure.