Which plan proposed equal representation for each state in the new Congress?

Which plan proposed equal representation for each state in the new Congress?

• A. A constitutional proposal that would have given each state one vote in a new congress
• B. The New Jersey Plan
• C. Checks and balances to limit central power
• D. The Virginia Plan

Answer: (B)

Equal representation in Congress was the core idea behind the New Jersey Plan. Proposed by William Paterson, it called for a unicameral legislature in which every state would have one vote, ensuring that smaller states would have the same influence as larger ones. This stands in contrast to the Virginia Plan, which favored representation based on population and thus gave bigger states more power. The option about checks and balances is about distributing powers among branches, not how states are represented, so it doesn’t address the question of representation. The New Jersey Plan is the established label for the equal-representation approach, which is why it’s the best answer.

Equal representation in Congress was the core idea behind the New Jersey Plan. Proposed by William Paterson, it called for a unicameral legislature in which every state would have one vote, ensuring that smaller states would have the same influence as larger ones. This stands in contrast to the Virginia Plan, which favored representation based on population and thus gave bigger states more power. The option about checks and balances is about distributing powers among branches, not how states are represented, so it doesn’t address the question of representation. The New Jersey Plan is the established label for the equal-representation approach, which is why it’s the best answer.