Which plan introduced by William Patterson proposed a unicameral legislature with equal representation for states and gave Congress commerce power and an executive committee chosen by Congress?

Which plan introduced by William Patterson proposed a unicameral legislature with equal representation for states and gave Congress commerce power and an executive committee chosen by Congress?

• A. New Jersey Plan
• B. Virginia Plan
• C. Agrarian Law
• D. The Slavery Issue

Answer: (A)

This question tests how different proposals at the Constitutional Convention aimed to balance state equality with a stronger national government. William Paterson’s plan, known as the New Jersey Plan, argued for keeping equal representation for each state by having a unicameral legislature. It also broadened the powers of Congress by giving it the authority to tax and regulate commerce, addressing one of the Articles of Confederation’s main weaknesses. Crucially, it proposed an executive committee chosen by Congress rather than a single independent president. These features—the unicameral structure with equal state representation, Congress's commerce power, and an executive body selected by Congress—are all hallmarks of Paterson’s plan, distinguishing it from other proposals. The Virginia Plan, for example, favored bicameral representation based on population and a separate executive chosen by the legislature, which doesn’t fit this description. The other terms listed aren’t formal competing plans from the convention, so they don’t match the described combination of features.

This question tests how different proposals at the Constitutional Convention aimed to balance state equality with a stronger national government. William Paterson’s plan, known as the New Jersey Plan, argued for keeping equal representation for each state by having a unicameral legislature. It also broadened the powers of Congress by giving it the authority to tax and regulate commerce, addressing one of the Articles of Confederation’s main weaknesses. Crucially, it proposed an executive committee chosen by Congress rather than a single independent president.

These features—the unicameral structure with equal state representation, Congress's commerce power, and an executive body selected by Congress—are all hallmarks of Paterson’s plan, distinguishing it from other proposals. The Virginia Plan, for example, favored bicameral representation based on population and a separate executive chosen by the legislature, which doesn’t fit this description. The other terms listed aren’t formal competing plans from the convention, so they don’t match the described combination of features.