Why did the Founding Fathers create a weak central government under the Articles of Confederation?
Responses
A to prevent another war with Great Britainto prevent another war with Great Britain
B to provide the states with unlimited powerto provide the states with unlimited power
C to prevent abuse of power by the national governmentto prevent abuse of power by the national government
D to increase the taxation powers of the national governmentto increase the taxation powers of the national government
C to prevent abuse of power by the national government
The correct answer is C - to prevent abuse of power by the national government.
To determine why the Founding Fathers created a weak central government under the Articles of Confederation, we need to understand the historical context. The Articles of Confederation were the United States' first constitution, adopted in 1781. The Founding Fathers had recently fought a war for independence against Great Britain, during which they had experienced the abuses of a strong central government. As a result, they were skeptical of concentrating power in a single authority.
Under the Articles of Confederation, the central government had limited authority and was intentionally designed to be weak. The states retained most of the power and sovereignty, while the national government had very limited powers. This structure was intended to prevent a repeat of the abuses they had experienced under British rule.
The Founding Fathers emphasized a system of checks and balances, where power was decentralized and divided between the central government and the states. They believed that this would prevent the national government from becoming too powerful and help safeguard individual liberties.
The weak central government was one of the shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation. It made it difficult for the national government to effectively govern and address issues such as interstate trade, national defense, and foreign relations. This eventually led to the decision to create a stronger central government through the adoption of the United States Constitution in 1789.