Constitutional Compromise | iCivics (2024)

FAQs

What was the constitutional compromise? ›

The Great Compromise settled matters of representation in the federal government. The Three-Fifths Compromise settled matters of representation when it came to the enslaved population of southern states and the importation of enslaved Africans. The Electoral College settled how the president would be elected.

The Great Compromise established the United States legislature as a bicameral, or two-house law-making body. In the Senate, each state would be allowed two representatives; in the House of Representatives, the number of representatives allowed for each state would be determined by its population.

There were four main compromises that were necessary in order to adopt and ratify the Constitution. These compromises were the ###Great_(Connecticut)_Compromise_0###, Electoral College , Three-Fifths Compromise , and Compromise on the importation of slaves .

The Three-Fifths Compromise was reached among state delegates during the 1787 Constitutional Convention. It determined that three out of every five slaves were counted when determining a state's total population for legislative representation and taxation.

Three-fifths compromise, compromise agreement between delegates from the Northern and the Southern states at the United States Constitutional Convention (1787) that three-fifths of the enslaved population would be counted for determining direct taxation and representation in the House of Representatives.

The Connecticut Compromise (also known as the Great Compromise of 1787 or Sherman Compromise) was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that in part defined the legislative structure and representation each state would have under the United States Constitution.

Lesson Summary

The Connecticut Compromise, or Great Compromise, reconciled the two sides by making up one house of the legislature, the Senate, of two equal representatives from each state, and the other house of legislature, the House of Representatives, to be distributed according to the population of each state.

The Constitution was a result of multiple compromises. Further Explanation: When creating the US Constitution, there was constant debate between two different political factions. These factions were known as the federalists and anti federalists.

Certainly, not all compromises must be fair and, if fairness is not a concern, negotiation or bargaining processes work fine.

The purpose of the Great Compromise was to ensure representation in Congress. It created a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate.So,Option 3: The Great Compromise allowed all states to agree on representation in Congress is correct.

Which key issue did the Great Compromise resolve? ›

The Great Compromise settled the method of representation in the legislative branch. Small states wanted equal representation , and large states wanted representation based on population (equality by vote). Under the compromise, all states were represented equally in the Senate.

For example, lacking the Thirteenth Amendment, the original Constitution permitted slavery to continue; lacking the Nineteenth Amendment, it did not secure the right of women to vote; and, lacking the First Amendment, it provided no protection for religious freedom, not to mention other rights.

states to support weakening the national government; and (3) the compromise encouraged delegates from the large states to strengthen the powers of the House and delegates from the small states to strengthen the powers of the Senate.

The Articles established a weak central government and placed most powers in the hands of the states. Under the Articles, the US economy faltered, since the central government lacked the power to enforce tax laws or regulate commerce.

The Founding Fathers established the Electoral College in the Constitution, in part, as a compromise between the election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens. However, the term “electoral college” does not appear in the Constitution.

Each state would have a number of electors proportional to its population, and these electors, who would be chosen “in such manner as [the state's] Legislature may direct,” would in turn vote for the President. Whoever received the highest number of ballots would become President.

One particularly controversial issue was the Three Fifths Compromise, which settled how enslaved people would be counted for purposes of representation and taxation.

The Great Compromise was an agreement made among the delegates to the Constitutional Convention that the American government would have two houses in Congress: the Senate where each state has two Senators, and the House of Representatives where each state has a number of Representatives based on population.