VUS.5a
Constitution, AoC, Government. By Ian Duffy
Essential Knowledge
American political leaders, fearful of a
powerful central government like
Britain’s, created the Articles of
Confederation, adopted at the end of the
war.
The Articles of Confederation
• Provided for a weak national
government
• Gave Congress no power to tax or
regulate commerce among the states
• Provided for no common currency
• Gave each state one vote regardless
of size
• Provided for no executive or judicial
branch
Questions to know.
How did America’s pre-Revolutionary
relationship with Britain influence the
structure of the first national government?
What weaknesses in the Articles of
Confederation led to the effort to draft a
new constitution?
1) Under the Articles there was only a unicameral legislature so that there was no separation of powers.
2) Congress, under the Articles, did not have the power to tax which meant that they could never put their finances in order.
3) In order to change or amend the Articles, unanimous approval of the states was required which essentially meant that changes to the Articles were impossible.
4) For any major laws to pass they had to be approved by 9 or the 13 states which proved difficult to do so that even the normal business of running a government was difficult.
5) Under the Articles, Congress did not have the power to regulate commerce which will cause competition between states as well as diplomatic issues.