1. One weakness of the Articles of Confederation was the lack of a strong central government. Under the Articles, the central government had limited powers and was unable to effectively enforce laws or regulate commerce. This led to a lack of unity among the states and difficulties in coordinating common interests and actions. As a result, it became evident that a stronger central government was necessary to address these issues and provide stability and organization to the newly formed nation. This realization eventually led to the writing of the US Constitution, which established a more powerful central government with the ability to govern and make decisions on behalf of the entire country.
2. Another weakness of the Articles of Confederation was the inability to levy taxes and raise revenue. The central government was reliant on contributions from the states, but there was no mechanism to enforce these payments. As a result, the central government often faced financial difficulties and was unable to fulfill its obligations, including paying off war debts. This weakness highlighted the need for a stronger central government with the power to tax and raise revenue independently. The US Constitution addressed this weakness by granting the federal government the authority to levy taxes and manage the nation’s finances, ensuring a more stable economic foundation for the country.
The following Free Response question has two parts.
Name two weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. For each weakness explain how that weakness led to the writing of the US Constitution.
Format your answer as follows:
1. Naming the first weakness, then the explanation of how that weakness led to the writing of the US Constitution
2. Naming the second weakness, then the explanation of how that weakness led to the writing of the US Constitution
1 answer
11 answers