The Plan for Government,
a Guide to the Constitution 1787
Greyson Clark
Why A New Government Was Needed?
A new government was needed because their current one wasn't good. They needed a government that was beneficial to everybody. Nobody could agree so they came up with The Great Compromise. It helped everybody get what they wanted, as best they could.
Who Were The Delegates That Represented The States?
The delegates that represented the states are Virginia and New Jersey. Virginia wanted states to be represented based on population. New Jersey wanted states to be represented through the same power for every individual.
The Issue of Representation
The issue of representation is that neither delegates could agree with each other. The Virginians wanted to to be represented based on population. New Jersey wanted to be represented through the same power for everybody. In the end, The Great Compromise was created.
The Issue of Slavery
The issue of slavery was if slaves should be counted as people or not. The southerners viewed them as property not people. Northerners viewed them as people until it gave the South and unfair advantage towards them. What they concluded was that slaves would count for 3/5 of a person.
The Issue of State and Federal Power
The issue between state and federal power was that people thought America should be governed two different ways. Some people thought that each state should govern there selves and some believed that there should be an overall government. One that could govern all the states.
Separation of Powers
Separation of powers was how to protect against bad government. It divided government into 3 parts. The legislative makes laws, the executive branch enforced laws, and the judicial branch interpreted laws.
How the Constitution Can Be Changed
Some people believe the constitution needs to be changed. They think amendments could be added. Two-thirds of House and Senate agree, and two-thirds of State agree at the convention.