Week Seven: The Constitution and Proportional Representation
“Much of the strength and efficiency of any Government in procuring and securing happiness to the people, depends, on opinion, on the general opinion of the goodness of the Government, as well as of the wisdom and integrity of its Governors.”
This week, Isaacson and Ellis introduce us to how the delegates compromised on state representation by dividing the legislative branch between the Senate, in which every state has two representatives regardless of size, and the House of Representations, where representatives are apportioned to the states according to their population. They conclude with Franklin’s celebration of compromise, an elegant and timeless letter that warrants attention today