Understanding the Virginia Plan

The podcast '60-Second Civics' introduces the Virginia Plan, drafted by James Madison, which proposed a strong national government. It explains the federal system where both state and national governments derive power from the people. The plan outlined a government divided into legislative, executive, and judicial branches, with a bicameral legislature based on state population. The episode concludes with a brief summary.

Who drafted the Virginia Plan before the Philadelphia Convention?

• George Washington

• Thomas Jefferson

• James Madison

• Benjamin Franklin

What type of government system did the Virginia Plan propose?

• Unitary system

• Confederate system

• Federal system

• Monarchical system

Under the Virginia Plan, from whom would both state and national governments derive their power?

• The President

• The Congress

• The Supreme Court

• The people

How many branches did the Virginia Plan divide the government into?

• Two

• Three

• Five

• Four

What were the two houses of the national legislature under the Virginia Plan?

• House of Representatives and the Senate

• House of Commons and House of Lords

• Assembly and Council

• Parliament and Congress

How was the number of representatives in each house determined according to the Virginia Plan?

• Equal for all states

• Based on state wealth

• Proportional to the state's population

• Decided by the President