Under the Articles of Confederation, if the federal government needed to build a new road across several states, what would happen?
"The federal government could order the states to pay for the project."
"The federal government could prevent trade between states that refused to help."
"The federal government could ask for help from states, but they could refuse."
"The federal government could force the states to complete the project on their own."
Under the Articles of Confederation, the correct answer would be: "The federal government could ask for help from states, but they could refuse."
Under the Articles of Confederation, if the federal government needed to build a new road across several states, the federal government could ask for help from states, but they could refuse. This means that the federal government did not have the power to enforce or mandate states to contribute funds or resources for such projects without their consent.
Under the Articles of Confederation, if the federal government needed to build a new road across several states, it would have limited authority and options. According to the options you provided:
1. "The federal government could order the states to pay for the project." - This is not accurate. The federal government, under the Articles of Confederation, did not have the power to directly order the states to fund projects. It lacked the authority to impose taxes or raise revenue independently.
2. "The federal government could prevent trade between states that refused to help." - While the federal government did have the power to regulate interstate trade under the Articles of Confederation, it did not have the authority to prevent trade entirely between states that refused to contribute to a specific project. The control of state commerce was limited, and it would have been challenging to enforce such measures.
3. "The federal government could ask for help from states, but they could refuse." - This option is correct. The federal government, in need of assistance for building a new road, could request support from the states involved. However, since the federal government lacked coercive power, the states had the right to refuse to provide assistance.
4. "The federal government could force the states to complete the project on their own." - This option is also not accurate. The federal government did not have the authority to compel or enforce compliance from the states under the Articles of Confederation. Each state retained significant sovereignty, and the central government primarily relied on voluntary cooperation.
In summary, under the Articles of Confederation, the federal government could ask for help from the states but could not order or force them to pay for a project. The states had the power to refuse assistance.