The principles express by Pain and Jefferson best account for the relatively limited powers of the Articles of Confederation.

3 answers

The principles expressed by Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson offer a clear explanation for the relatively limited powers of the Articles of Confederation.

1. Thomas Paine's principle of limited government: Paine believed in the idea of limited government, where the power of the government is restricted to prevent it from becoming too centralized and tyrannical. He argued that government should only have the powers necessary to protect the natural rights of individuals. This principle aligns with the limited powers of the Articles of Confederation, as this first constitution of the United States established a weak central government with limited authority. The Articles of Confederation mainly focused on maintaining the independence and sovereignty of the individual states, rather than giving significant powers to the central government.

2. Thomas Jefferson's principle of states' rights: Jefferson deeply believed in the concept of states' rights, emphasizing the importance of individual states in governing themselves. He argued that the central government should only possess certain essential powers, while the majority of decision-making and governance should remain with the states. This principle is reflected in the Articles of Confederation, which gave individual states considerable autonomy and left crucial powers, such as taxation and regulation of trade, to the states rather than the central government. The Articles created a loose confederation of states, where the power was significantly decentralized.

Both Paine and Jefferson's principles emphasize a strong preference for limited central government power and the protection of states' rights. These principles guided the development of the Articles of Confederation, resulting in a weak central government and the allocation of significant powers to individual states. Ultimately, these principles help account for the relatively limited powers of the Articles of Confederation.
keep your answer two sentences
The principles expressed by Pain and Jefferson, such as limited government and states' rights, support the relatively limited powers of the Articles of Confederation.