What Is The Reason Behind The Virginia Plan

The Virginia Plan states that the “Legislative Executive and Judiciary powers within the several States ought to be bound by oath to support the articles of Union”. Furthermore the Virginia Plan calls for the negative on all laws of the state. Upon reading such parts of the Virginia Plan, one might think that the Virginia Plan gives too much power to the national government, limiting the individual state’s power greatly. Indeed, delegates against a stronger national government such as George Clinton feared that it will threaten the economic success of individual States and will lead to the abuses of power experienced under the British rule. However, after a careful analysis of the history and reason behind the Virginia Plan, one will understand that this is not the case. In fact, the Virginia Plan gives power just enough to ensure order and harmony in the States.

Before the constitutional convention, the States and the national government ran based on the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of
Such idea is stated in the Virginia Plan: “that the National Legislature ought to be impowered to ... legislate in all cases to which the separate States are incompetent, or in which the harmony of the United States may be interrupted by the exercise of individual Legislation.” Contrary to the claims of it’s opponents, the Virginia Plan seems to actually bring economic stability and lessen the abuses of power by checking all the actions of individual