History of Europe

How did the great compromise solve problem of reprentation in congress?

The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was a crucial agreement reached during the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. It addressed the contentious issue of representation in Congress, which threatened to derail the entire convention. The compromise provided a solution that balanced the interests of both large and small states, paving the way for the creation of a bicameral legislature. Here's how the Great Compromise solved the problem of representation in Congress:

Bicameral Legislature:

- The compromise created a bicameral legislature, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Senate (Equal State Representation):

- The Senate would have an equal number of senators from each state, regardless of its population.

- Each state would have two senators, ensuring that even the smallest states would have an equal voice in the Senate.

House of Representatives (Population-Based Representation):

- The House of Representatives would be based on population.

- Each state's representation in the House would be proportional to its population, as determined by regular censuses.

- This ensured that more populous states would have a larger number of representatives, reflecting their greater population size.

Balancing Power and Population:

- By dividing Congress into two chambers with different modes of representation, the compromise balanced the interests of large states with those of small states.

- Large states were satisfied with the proportional representation in the House of Representatives, which gave them more influence based on their population.

- Small states were pleased with the equal representation in the Senate, which guaranteed their influence and voice in the legislative process.

Compromise on Slave Population:

- The compromise also addressed the contentious issue of how to count slaves when determining a state's population for purposes of representation.

- The "Three-Fifths Compromise" stipulated that for the purpose of representation in the House and taxation, three-fifths of the enslaved population would be counted.

Unanimous Consent:

- To further appease the concerns of small states, the Great Compromise required unanimous consent of all states for certain key decisions, such as constitutional amendments.

The Great Compromise was a masterful bit of political maneuvering that helped bridge the divide between large and small states, allowing the Constitutional Convention to move forward and ultimately leading to the ratification of the United States Constitution. The bicameral structure of Congress has endured to this day, serving as a balancing mechanism that accommodates the diverse needs and interests of all states within the federal government.