Why were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation make it difficult for the new government to function?

Answer 1

Weaknessness often cited about the Articles of Confederation made the founding fathers realize the Articles would not be fixable.

"The weaknesses included the following:

• Each state only had one vote in Congress, regardless of size.
• Congress did not have the power to tax.
• Congress did not have the power to regulate foreign and interstate commerce.
• There was no executive branch to enforce any acts passed by Congress.
• There was no national court system.
• Amendments to the Articles of Confederation required a unanimous vote.
• Laws required a 9/13 majority to pass in Congress." (Cited from americanhistory.about.com/od/governmentandpolitics/f/articles_of_confederation_fails.htm)

The States would have legitimate issues as the years went by, especially as populations grew. The Founding Fathers forgot or overlooked key provisions a government needed in order to keep a Federal and the States happy (like taxation, commerce, etc.). And there was no balance of Federal Powers; they needed an Executive Branch with its own powers.

Answer 2

-No power to tax- the government could only ask states for money, even though they had millions of dollars worth of debt
-amendments to the articles required the approval of all 13 states, which was nearly impossible
-no power over foreign commerce- they couldn't protect or standardize trade between the states and foreign nations
-9 states had to be represented to make any important decision- there was very poor attendance and no way to force delegates to come.