[5] The Articles had no provision for executive and judicial branches, which meant the Confederation government lacked effective means to enforce its own laws and treaties against non-compliant states.

[6] James Madison, a delegate from Virginia, believed that the solution to America's problems was to be found in a strong central government.

The government needed to be neutral between the various factions or interest groups that divided society—creditors and debtors, rich and poor, or farmers, merchants and manufacturers.

To protect both national authority and minority rights, Madison believed Congress should be granted veto power over state laws.

[11] While Madison is often given chief credit for producing the plan, it was Randolph who contributed substantial elements of it and then officially put it before the Convention on May 29, 1787.

[17] Since the legislature appointed both the executive and judicial branches, however, the plan lacked the system of checks and balances that became central to the US Constitution.

[3] The Virginia Plan and the debate surrounding it are prominently featured in the 1989 film A More Perfect Union, which depicts the events of the 1787 Constitutional Convention.