Check-In #2 - Reflect Your Learning

Reflection: the Constitutional Convention

     I consider myself to be politically aware, but I know that there is much I don't know or understand about our political system. I have signed petitions, marched for causes and awareness, I have even canvassed for Presidential nominees because this being a democracy, I know how important it is to be part of the democratic process and I believed I was doing enough as an American citizen. 
   When the results of the election finally sunk in, I felt compelled to learn more. I want to be educated in the system that decides how we live our every-day life. I want to understand our rights and privileges so that I know when they are being threatened, and I'll have tools to help me part of a movement that protects them. 
   Learning about The different plans brought up for debate and then the compromise, I understand why there was a need for electoral college voting then. I strongly believe that by staying true to the electoral college now, we do not have political equality. 
   The number or representatives each state has, is dependent on an accurate census, it is angering that the southern states wanted to count their slaves as part of their population, though they (the slaves) had no representative or any voice in what their needs were or any protection. I feel that some of the states that have a high minority incarceration rate, are still benefiting from  being over-represented, because felons are not allowed to vote in some states, despite having served their time. They count for the census, but their voices don't get heard.
   I am scheduling my time in a better fashion to make sure I keep up with assignments and they get turned in on time. I also am working on writing better essays, that is something that I have always struggled with, but the more I do it, I hope the better I get. 

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The Constitutional Convention
The Virginia plan was drawn out by James Madison which distributed power between the Judicial and Executive branches as it stands today as checks and balances, however he had envisioned that states would be represented based on their population. The more populated states and the majority as a whole stood to benefit from his plan, as opposed to the less populated states. It allowed the judicial branch to strike down legislative and executive branches; however this veto could be overturned by a majority in the legislative branch.

Other elements of the plan consisted of the Legislative branch being divided into two sections, the lower house which would be elected by the people. Those elected would then go on to elect those in the upper legislative house. The Legislative houses would be the ones to vote on the chief executive (or a president), which meant that the Legislative branch had a lot of power.   
This plan was written because some members feared that the United States could not survive in its current state, and wanted to bring America in as a whole with a stronger Central type of Government. It was also thinking ahead by providing a path for new states to join the US. This plan was ambiguous in its wording and open to interpretation in some aspects.
In Contrast, there was the New Jersey Plan written by William Paterson in which it favored the small states by keeping the same representation it currently had, regardless of population and size. Each state would have an a single equal vote, and wealth could be distributed by giving congress the ability to tax and regulate trade.
Under the New Jersey plan, there would be two branches of government, the legislative branch, and the executive branch made up of more than one person to distribute power, and thus not allow a single person to hold too much control. This plan sought to amend the articles rather than start from scratch. 
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