Which arrangement created a bicameral Congress with Senate representation equal for each state and the House based on population?

• A. Great Compromise
• B. Three-Fifths Compromise
• C. Virginia Plan
• D. New Jersey Plan

Answer: (A)

Balancing representation between large and small states is the key idea here. The solution creates a bicameral Congress that uses two different methods of representation to satisfy both sides. The Senate gives each state equal representation, so every state has the same number of senators, protecting smaller states from being overwhelmed. The House of Representatives, on the other hand, bases its membership on population, so states with more people have more representatives and thus more influence.

This combination—two houses with different rules for representation—is what the Great Compromise established, and it’s why it best fits the description in the question. The Three-Fifths Compromise dealt with counting enslaved people for representation and taxation rather than how the legislature is organized. The Virginia Plan advocated proportional representation in both houses, which would have favored larger states, not equal-state representation in one house. The New Jersey Plan proposed equal representation in a unicameral congress, not a bicameral system with a population-based lower house.