Question

From the list below, correctly choose three failures of the Articles of Confederation and why it was replaced by the US Constitution.
Responses
No ability to regulate commerce.
No ability to regulate commerce.
Lacked the ability to collect taxes.
Lacked the ability to collect taxes.
Established weak state governments.
Established weak state governments.
Established a weak federal government.
Established a weak federal government.
Set high taxes that US citizens couldn't pay.

Answer 1

Correct choices (three failures) — and why they led to the Constitution:

- No ability to regulate commerce.
- Under the Articles each state could set its own trade rules and tariffs, producing interstate trade disputes and hindering a national economy. The Constitution gave Congress the Commerce Clause to create uniform trade policy.

- Lacked the ability to collect taxes.
- The national government could only request money from states and could not reliably raise revenue to pay war debts or fund an army. The Constitution gave Congress the power to levy taxes directly.

- Established a weak federal government.
- The Articles created no independent executive, no national judiciary, and limited federal authority (couldn’t enforce laws or respond effectively to crises such as Shays’ Rebellion). The Constitution created a stronger central government with separated powers (executive, legislative, judicial) and the Supremacy Clause.

These failures made it clear a stronger, more effective national government was needed, so the Constitutional Convention produced the U.S. Constitution.