The Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation(1781-1787)

1. The Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation(1781-1787) By: J.A.SACCO

2. The Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation Problem Effect Always short of money, not pay for defense of the nation Quarrels between states/trade with foreign nations caused problems Depended on the states to enforce national law/states not always comply Made settling disputes between states difficult Could not coordinate the workings of the government Difficult to enact laws Could not change with the needs of the people • Confederation Congress could not levy/collect taxes, only raise money by borrowing from the states • Did not have the power to regulate trade • Could not enforce the laws passed on the national level by the Confederation Congress • Had no national court system • The national government had no executive branch • Approval of 9/13 states needed to pass national legislation • All states had to agree on proposed amendments of the Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation kept the national government purposely weak to ensure that the rights and liberties of every single individual would be preserved.