so long as any individual state has power to defeat. The measures of the other 12 are pretended union is that a name and our confederation a cobweb what fundamental problem did Noah Webster see in the articles of confederation?

Answer 1

Noah Webster, an influential American statesman and lexicographer, recognized several fundamental problems with the Articles of Confederation, particularly regarding the efficacy of the central government. One of his primary concerns was that the Articles created a weak central government that lacked sufficient authority to govern effectively.

This ineffectiveness stemmed from a few key issues:

1. State Sovereignty: The Articles granted significant power to individual states, leading to a situation where states could act independently, sometimes counter to the interests of the union as a whole. This decentralized power made it difficult for the federal government to enact laws and enforce them.

2. Inability to Tax: The central government under the Articles could not levy taxes directly, relying instead on voluntary contributions from the states. This often left the national government without necessary funds to operate effectively.

3. No Executive Branch: There was no executive branch to enforce laws or lead the nation, resulting in a lack of coordinated action on important issues.

4. Inflexibility in Amendments: Amending the Articles required unanimous consent from all 13 states, which was nearly impossible to achieve, making it difficult to address any structural issues.

Webster's view of the Articles as a "cobweb" suggests that he saw them as fragile and ineffective, unable to bind the states together in a meaningful union that could withstand external and internal pressures. The weaknesses led to calls for a stronger central government, culminating in the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and the creation of the U.S. Constitution.