p1.+Virginia+Plan



=Group Members and Roles=
 * Maddy - Leader and Debater
 * Jonathan - Speech and Video PSA
 * Lizbeth - Journalist and Social Media
 * Hannah - Graphic and Flyer
 * Matt - Audio PSA
 * Lisset - Photographer

=Group Slogan=

More Population Deserves More Representation!
=What Your Group Wants -- Plan for New Constitution= The goal of the Virginia Plan is to set up a new system of government stronger than the Articles of Confederation that will be able to properly and justly govern the United States of America. Our proposed governmental system with three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. There will be a system of checks and balances between these branches so that no one branch holds all the power. The legislative branch will have the ability to choose those that will serve in the executive and judicial branches. Our plan includes a bicameral legislature consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House of Representatives will be elected by the people and serve for three years. The Senate will be composed of older members elected by the state legislatures and will serve for seven. The amount of seats in each house given to each state will be determined proportionally. States with a larger population will be given more seats than those with a smaller population. =Bullet Points of Your Plan=
 * Three branches of government: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial
 * System of checks and balances
 * Bicameral legislature: Congress and House of Representatives
 * Representation based on population, not by state

=Orator: Text of Your Speech= My fellow Americans, as you all know, we are in a time of crisis. Our current constitution, the Articles of Confederation, does not suffice as an adequate system of democracy. Its many flaws are leading us in a downward spiral. Riots are breaking out; the government cannot collect taxes properly; few laws are able to be passed; our country is falling apart. Something has to be done. It is time we take the next crucial step towards democracy.media type="file" key="virginiaplan-speech-p1-2013.mp4" width="480" height="320" align="right"

The United States of America is at a pivotal moment. Should we succeed in creating a new government, we will be the idol of all other countries seeking democracy. Should we fail, we will be the laughingstock of all of Europe. England already has little faith in us. She believes we will fail without the guidance of a strong monarch. We must prove our former mother country wrong. We are strong. We are wise. We have the power to create the greatest country in all of history. But that cannot happen under the Articles of Confederation. We feared a strong central government would morph into the tyrannical reign that England once held over us, so we created a weak confederation between our states, which lacked the authority needed to get much of anything done. We all realize there is a problem, but it is the solution that is unclear.

I propose a plan that will replace the aspects of the Articles of Confederation which are not as auspicious as we would hope, and build upon those that are favorable. This plan, which we believe will solve all the difficulties our country faces, shall be known as the Virginia Plan. The basis of our plan is a three branch system of government, inspired by the wisdom of the great philosopher Montesquieu and his belief in the separation of power. These branches shall be known as the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative branches. These three branches will be interconnected by a system of checks and balances. This system will prevent any one branch from seizing control, obviating the threat of a dictatorial regime like we experienced under King George. The Virginia Plan includes a bicameral legislature made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House of Representatives will be elected by the people and the Senate will be elected by the state legislatures. Representation in each house will be determined proportionally. Each state will be allowed an amount of representatives based on their population. Large states like Virginia contain many more people, and therefore more opinions, than a minuscule state such as New Jersey. Our plan will ensure that each state will be given the representation they deserve. With the Virginia Plan, our government will truly be run by the people. Giving each state the same number of representatives quiets the voices of those that live in large states. We must allow their voices to be heard. The larger states contain the majority of the population. It is only fair that they receive the majority of the votes. The Virginia Plan gives every state the representation owed to them, because more population deserves more representation.

Our plan is the only way that America can become the land of freedom and justice that we seek. America is a country I hold very near and dear to my heart. We fought hard for our freedom because we believed in a brighter future for our country. We shall not let our efforts go to waste. America will live up to its potential. We will create the strongest country there ever was! For this to happen, we must join together under a solid plan of action, so, my fellow countrymen, we must unite as one nation under the Virginia Plan, a plan that will bring justice and prosperity to our great country!

=Why Our Plan is Good:= More population deserves more representation! Larger states should have more power than smaller states because if all states are equal, not everyone in larger states are represented. The majority of the people live in the big states, so the big states should get the majority of the vote. Virginia has the most experience with democracy: We have been governed by the House of Burgesses ever since 1619. =Print Journalist: Write Up of Convention Activity= The crowd was in harmonious silence as the Virginia plan presented their proposals for an ideal government at the Constitutional Convention. As they were presenting their ideals, everyone was silent but the presenters of the New Jersey plan. They viciously hissed at the Virginia plan as they stated that our country was strong and able to build a new strong government. During the whole speech, the puerile and child-like New Jersey plan could not be respectful, and was riotous. As the New Jersey plan spoke, they falsely stated that to be a strong nation "we must be equally represented." Though that is not fair at all, because equal representation would not efficiently represent every man. One man. One vote. "To be or not to be..equal.. That is the question." Obviously the answer is not to be...

"We must recognize each others differences and accept similarities" was a bold statement declared by a member of the Great Compromise, but a plan as great as the Virginia plan should not need compromise. Summer Dosch said " You fought for the same freedom. You should be equal," and in retaliation Jonathan Sochel declared "we died more." It's no that new jersey did not try as much, but Virginia did have more invested in the war.

As the constitutional convention went on, the dispute between between the Dixie Crat Crispus Attucks, and the Crispus atticus was heated as they went back and forth. Dixie Crat was threatening to succeed from the union because "slavery is not an issue." Much disapproval went on over the ideals of the "Great South." From one corner of the room you could here statements such as "educate the slave" and "now they can be free" and in retaliation one of the members from the dixie crat said "free to die." The slaves are treated unfairly an as Mr. Geib added " and whip them" to one of their statements, one of the Dixie Crat members said "only when they're bad."

Ciera added to this refute by saying, " Most of them already are." As the Crispus members tried to convince them that slavery was a "moral abomination" they had much evidence to prove the Dixie Crats wrong with examples such as the 3/5's compromise, yet they come to no avail in freeing the slaves.

Many realizations come to light as the debate begins. Such as those similar to that "New Jersey needs Virginia a lot more than Virginia needs New Jersey." As Virginia comes in strong, puerile New Jersey threatens to succeed from the union. "You guys can talk the talk, are you gonna walk the walk?" is a very good question asked by Mr. Geib yet when the answer comes they say it is in their best interest not to leave. At this point New jersey is struggling, yet no compromise is reached at the Constitutional Convention.

=TV PSA= media type="file" key="p1-VirginiaPlanTVPSA.mp4" width="920" height="560" align="center"

=Radio PSA= =media type="file" key="virginiaplan_period1_radio.mp3" width="240" height="20"=

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