p1.09+Great+Compromise+Page

Group Members and Roles

 * Bryan (Speech)
 * Jonathan (Debater)
 * Jesse (Radio)
 * Michael (Writer)
 * Bryan (Journalist)
 * Joshua (Video)

Group Slogan
Come on baby, let's do this together!

What Your Group Wants -- Plan for New Constitution
-Three Branches - legislative, executive, and judicial

-Both the states and people at large selects legislators

-Legislators then appoint people to serve in the executive branch

-The executive branch selects the justices of the Supreme Court

-Legislature will have two houses:

1. Senate(upper house with 2 senators each)

2. House of Representatives (lower house with proportional representation depending on the states population)

Bullet Points of Your Plan
Equal representation in the Senate - 2 senators from each state

Representation in House of Representatives based upon population of state

Successful mix between Virginia and New Jersey Plan

Orator: Text of Your Speech
Gentlemen, There is a schism dividing our fledgling nation. We are all in agreement that we should have a stronger federal system. New Jersey is here to say that we need a plan based entirely on states, and has little to no respect for the population. Virginia wants a plan based entirely on population, and has little to no respect for the states. With all due respect, These plans stink as much as Benjamin Franklin, and an eighty-one year old obese man with gout and bad gas when it is over one hundred degrees outside here in Pennsylvania is not pleasant to be around while Alexander Hamilton is blathering on for five hours. This country needs a solution, rather than more problems. This country does not need an argument now. There are riots in the streets, there are Patriots who are worried that all of their struggles were for naught, there are women and children that don't know where their country is heading, and we are here arguing when there is a better solution: Compromise. The world is looking to our country to see how long we can survive. We are here to tell you that if you continue with this nonsensical bickering, it will not be very long. The republican virtues of the small-state and large-state plans have value, why not combine the two? New Jersey must accept that the population must be respected. A plan based entirely on individual states is sure to crumble if Virginia and Massachusetts population are neglected entirely. Virginia must also accept that the states must also have rights. If New Jersey and Delaware and Rhode Island and Georgia are all overtaken by representatives from the largest states, then the abuse of power will come to those with tyrannical hands over our new government. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Our constitution will include Virginia's three branch structure, with the executive branch selecting the judicial, and two separate houses of Congress in the legislative, the House of Representatives, which will correlate to Virginia's plan, and the Senate, which will relate to New Jersey's plan. People with little knowledge of our plan will fear the power that the executive branch has, and the President's right to veto will surely scare people away, however in our system of checks and balances even after an executive veto the legislation will go back to Congress and they can override a veto with a two-thirds majority. This is clearly far better than the Articles of Confederation, which can only pass anything with unanimous consent, which is very difficult to achieve in such a large nation. Gentlemen, there are no further arguments to be made. Debate encourages better solutions, however when the answer is clear only fools continue to argue. We assembled here in Philadelphia to create a solution for the overwhelming lack of thought that went into the articles of Confederation, but we no longer need to deliberate our options. There is a time to debate, and there is a time to stop, collaborate, and listen. I plead that all of you come to your senses and go back to your states and urge all of your fellow statesmen to vote positively on this constitution. This is not merely an acceptable compromise, or quite frankly even a good one, this is a GREAT compromise. Come on baby, let's do this together.

Video of Speech
media type="file" key="p1-great-compromise-speech-0910.flv" width="640" height="360" align="center"

Debater: Possible Objections to Plan and Your Replies
The larger states can get bills passed easier in the House of Representatives than the smaller states. The senate can stop the bill from being passed, and even if that does not work then the Executive can veto the Bill and then the Senate needs to get a 2/3's vote to veto the Executive's decision.

Journalist: Write-Up of Convention Activity
Great Compromise Enters Convention, Wins Handily

It has been a Great day in the history of our fledgling America. We have taken the first steps to the solidification of a grand nation with the nearly unanimous decision to throw out the ruddy old Articles of Confederation and replace with a solid National Constitution. After all, we should not be so loosely combined as a confederation but rather we should come-together-baby as a powerful federation, a nation the World can respect.

The Great Compromise was met with no opposition whatsoever, save for a few snide remarks uttered under the stubborn breaths of a few childish radicals who did not wish to share the reins of the country. Despite their intransigence, most groups were in agreement of empowering the federal government to better control the United States and keep us from falling into anarchical disarray. As such, the new constitution will be formed around the brilliant three-branch system of checks and balances which shall protect our freedoms for years to come.

Somewhat tangential to the main focus of the debate, the object of slavery was a hot topic for argument. We all appear to be in agreement that slavery shall be retained as a form of labor. Evil as the practice is, it must remain for the stability of the States' economy as well as that of the Union. The shame must go on, but as it stands only one group of the convention, namely the Dixiecrat Bloc, is all for slavery. We on the side of the Great Compromise did as our namesake implies and "compromised" with them and yet, do we detect the abolition of slavery in the near future?

Unfortunately, we seemed to have had a few "party-crashers'" as it were in our patriotic collaboration. Need it be said who they were? It seems the British showed up as well to pelt us with their petty insults, to which I myself, fired back with my great paper balls of Democracy. The British received such indignation that the all groups left the room when it came their turn to lift their nose at us. Only the group journalists remained to witness their awful name-calling. Why were they even present I wonder? Does this look like Britain?

Still, despite minimal bumps in our journey to freedom their occurred great victories for Democracy. As it stands, both the Virginia and New Jersey plans will be ratified into the constitution together. The new system of compromise will be a well-constructed (or shall I say Great) fusion of ideas that will protect the critical right to vote and ensure that all American male citizens receive an equal voice in the new Federation. *

Let freedom ring good gentlemen; if we are to be a nation, then let us do it together!

Pictures