The Articles of the Confederation had many problems: powers of government, passing laws, regulating trade, charging taxes, settling conflicts. Describe 2 of these problems and explain why it didn't work for the new United States government.
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Two of the problems with the Articles of Confederation were the limited powers of the central government and the difficulties in passing laws. These problems prevented the new United States government from effectively functioning.
Firstly, the central government under the Articles of Confederation had limited powers. It did not have the authority to levy taxes on the American people, which severely constrained the government's ability to raise revenue for necessary expenses such as defense and infrastructure. Without a means to acquire funds, the government struggled to carry out its basic functions. Additionally, the Articles of Confederation did not grant the central government the power to regulate trade between states or with other nations. This lack of authority created disputes and imbalances in trade relations, as each state could set its own trade policies, leading to economic inefficiencies and conflicts between states.
Secondly, the process of passing laws under the Articles of Confederation was cumbersome and ineffective. In order to pass any legislation, the consent of nine out of the thirteen states was required. This high threshold made it extremely difficult to enact new laws or amend existing ones. Each state had equal representation in the unicameral Congress, which meant that larger states had no more influence than smaller states. As a result, it often took significant time and effort to reach consensus on important issues, causing delays and hindering the government's ability to address pressing matters promptly.
Overall, the limited powers of the central government and the difficulties in passing laws were two major problems with the Articles of Confederation. These issues could be attributed to the desire to avoid a strong central authority, as the United States had just fought a war for independence against a powerful central government. However, these weaknesses became apparent as the government struggled to effectively govern and make decisions, ultimately leading to the adoption of the Constitution and the establishment of a more robust federal system.