Explain the Great Compromise and its impact on Congress.

• A. Created unicameral legislature
• B. Created bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House and equal representation in the Senate
• C. Abolished state representation in Congress
• D. Created a federal judiciary as the sole branch

Answer: (B)

The Great Compromise created a two-house Congress by merging the Virginia Plan’s representation by population with the New Jersey Plan’s equal representation for each state. It establishes a House of Representatives where seats are based on population, giving larger states greater influence, and a Senate where every state has two senators, guaranteeing equal representation for small states. This arrangement balances the concerns of both large and small states and ensures that legislation reflects both population and state equality, fostering broader agreement.

Its impact on how Congress works is substantial: laws must be approved by both houses, which encourages broader debate and compromise across diverse interests. The House’s closer connection to the people, including its role in originating revenue bills, combined with the Senate’s equal-state representation, laid the framework for how federal legislative power is exercised and tempered within a federal system.