Question
List 3 major differences between the Articles of Confederation and The Constitution
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Here are three major differences between the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution:
1. **Structure of Government**:
- **Articles of Confederation**: Established a weak central government with a unicameral legislature (Congress) that had limited power. There was no separate executive branch or national judiciary, and most authority remained with the individual states.
- **Constitution**: Created a stronger federal government with a bicameral legislature (the House of Representatives and the Senate), an executive branch headed by the President, and a judicial branch, which includes the Supreme Court. This structure allows for a more balanced distribution of power across different branches.
2. **Power to Tax**:
- **Articles of Confederation**: The federal government lacked the power to tax, relying on state contributions for financial support. This often resulted in insufficient funding for national needs and inability to pay debts.
- **Constitution**: Granted the federal government the explicit power to levy taxes, enabling it to generate revenue and fulfill its financial obligations more effectively.
3. **Amendment Process**:
- **Articles of Confederation**: Required unanimous consent from all 13 states to amend the Articles, making it extremely difficult to adapt to new challenges or changes in governance.
- **Constitution**: Established a more flexible amendment process, requiring approval from two-thirds of both houses of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the states, facilitating updates and modifications over time.
1. **Structure of Government**:
- **Articles of Confederation**: Established a weak central government with a unicameral legislature (Congress) that had limited power. There was no separate executive branch or national judiciary, and most authority remained with the individual states.
- **Constitution**: Created a stronger federal government with a bicameral legislature (the House of Representatives and the Senate), an executive branch headed by the President, and a judicial branch, which includes the Supreme Court. This structure allows for a more balanced distribution of power across different branches.
2. **Power to Tax**:
- **Articles of Confederation**: The federal government lacked the power to tax, relying on state contributions for financial support. This often resulted in insufficient funding for national needs and inability to pay debts.
- **Constitution**: Granted the federal government the explicit power to levy taxes, enabling it to generate revenue and fulfill its financial obligations more effectively.
3. **Amendment Process**:
- **Articles of Confederation**: Required unanimous consent from all 13 states to amend the Articles, making it extremely difficult to adapt to new challenges or changes in governance.
- **Constitution**: Established a more flexible amendment process, requiring approval from two-thirds of both houses of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the states, facilitating updates and modifications over time.