Which statement BEST describes the power of government provided by the Articles of Confederation?
Responses
A The national government held most of the power.The national government held most of the power.
B Congress enforced its power by taxing the states.Congress enforced its power by taxing the states.
C The states had more power than the national government.The states had more power than the national government.
D Government served to successfully unite the needs of all states.Government served to successfully unite the needs of all states.
C The states had more power than the national government.
C The states had more power than the national government.
To answer this question, let's analyze the power of government provided by the Articles of Confederation.
The Articles of Confederation, which were the first constitution of the United States, established a weak central government with most of the power residing within the individual states. This means that the national government did not have a strong authority over the states and was relatively weak in comparison.
Option A states that the national government held most of the power. This statement is incorrect because under the Articles of Confederation, the national government had limited authority.
Option B suggests that Congress enforced its power by taxing the states. This statement is partially true. While Congress did have the power to request funds from the states, it lacked the ability to enforce tax collection effectively. As a result, many states did not fully comply with Congress's requests for funds.
Option C claims that the states had more power than the national government. This statement is correct. The Articles of Confederation gave significant powers to the individual states, such as the authority to create and enforce laws within their own borders.
Option D implies that the government successfully united the needs of all states. This statement is inaccurate since the weak central government under the Articles of Confederation struggled to effectively address the needs and concerns of all states.
Therefore, the statement that BEST describes the power of government provided by the Articles of Confederation is:
C. The states had more power than the national government.