What are problems with Articles of Confederation?

Answer 1

The Articles of Confederation, the first governing document of the United States, were put in place in 1777 but were not ratified until 1781. The Articles gave a great deal of power to the individual states, while leaving the central government with limited power. While these intentions were admirable, the Articles of Confederation had several problems that ultimately led to its replacement by the U.S. Constitution in 1788.

One of the chief problems with the Articles of Confederation was its lack of a strong central government. The Articles gave the states the power to levy taxes, create their own money, and regulate trade with foreign nations, but the central government had no such power. This meant that the central government was unable to raise revenue for itself and was dependent on the states for funding. This lack of funding led to a lack of power, as the federal government was unable to enforce laws or even conduct foreign policy.

Another problem with the Articles of Confederation was its limited ability to protect the rights and liberties of citizens. The Articles did not provide for a Supreme Court or any other court system and lacked any form of executive branch to enforce laws. This meant that citizens were unable to appeal decisions made by state governments, and that the federal government had no way of protecting their rights.

Finally, the Articles of Confederation lacked any provisions for amending the document. This meant that any changes to the document had to be approved unanimously by all thirteen states. This made it extremely difficult to pass any changes, even minor ones. This lack of flexibility ultimately led to the Articles of Confederation being replaced by the U.S. Constitution.

In conclusion, the Articles of Confederation had several major problems that ultimately led to its replacement. These problems included the lack of a strong central government, the lack of ability to protect citizens' rights, and the inability to easily amend the document. These problems led to the creation of the more robust U.S. Constitution in 1788.