Weak Central Government
This branch of government was missing under the Articles of Confederation, making it impossible to enforce laws.
What is the executive branch?
Without the power to tax, Congress had to rely on these to fund the government.
What are voluntary state contributions?
The Articles gave Congress no power to regulate this between states, leading to conflicts and trade barriers.
What is interstate commerce?
Without the power to tax, Congress struggled to pay for this essential defense force.
What is the army?
The Articles gave most governing power to these, which often acted independently.
What are the states?
Under the Articles, Congress could make laws, but it lacked this essential power needed to ensure those laws were followed.
What is the power to enforce laws?
This famous event, caused by financial instability and inability to pay soldiers, highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles.
What is Shays’ Rebellion?
States could issue their own versions of this, creating confusion and devaluing it across the nation.
What is currency (money)?
Congress lacked the authority to draft soldiers and relied on this method to build an army.
What are state militias?
States often ignored this type of legislation passed by Congress, showcasing the weakness of the national government.
What are federal laws?
The Articles required this proportion of states to agree to amend the document, making it nearly impossible to change.
What is a unanimous vote (all 13 states)?
The lack of tax power under the Articles made it difficult to pay off this type of financial obligation from the Revolutionary War.
What are war debts?
The lack of a unified economic policy made it difficult to negotiate this type of agreement with foreign countries.
What are trade agreements?
Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress could not impose these, which limited its ability to raise funds.
What are taxes?
Under the Articles, disputes between states over boundaries and resources often escalated due to the lack of this type of system.
What is a federal judiciary (national court system)?
This vital function of government, such as overseeing trade disputes between states, was absent under the Articles.
What is the judiciary?
Congress was unable to raise funds to repay loans from this group, which strained diplomatic relations.
What are foreign creditors?
Inflation skyrocketed as states printed excessive amounts of this without federal oversight.
What is paper money?
The U.S. could not stop these types of internal uprisings due to a lack of soldiers.
What are rebellions?
States formed their own trade agreements with these groups, bypassing the national government.
What are foreign nations?
The weak national government failed to prevent this type of conflict between states, as they operated like independent nations.
What are interstate disputes?
Without funding, the government could not build this important infrastructure to connect states and boost commerce.
What are roads and canals?
Some states imposed these on goods coming from other states, creating economic tension.
What are tariffs or trade taxes?
The U.S. had no navy to protect its ships, leaving them vulnerable to attacks by this group.
Who are pirates?
States often refused to contribute their share of these, leaving the national government unable to function effectively.
What are taxes or funds?