describe the executive and judicial branches of the central government under the Articles
What articles? What country? Have you read those articles?
the articles of confederation
http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/milestones/articles/text.html
or
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsl&fileName=001/llsl001.db&recNum=127
Under the Articles of Confederation, which was the first constitution of the United States, the central government had an executive and judicial branch, although their powers were significantly limited compared to the subsequent Constitution.
1. Executive Branch:
The executive branch under the Articles of Confederation consisted of a single executive body known as the Committee of the States. It consisted of one representative from each state, appointed by their respective state government. However, there was no independent executive leader such as a president. Thus, the Committee of the States acted more as an administrative body, responsible for carrying out the decisions made by the Congress.
The executive powers of the Committee of the States were quite limited. It could, for example, deal with matters regarding treaties, but it had no authority to enforce laws, collect taxes, or regulate trade. Overall, the executive branch had minimal authority and could not effectively assert control over the states.
2. Judicial Branch:
The judicial branch of the central government under the Articles of Confederation was also quite weak. There was no established federal court system or a national Supreme Court. Instead, any disputes or legal matters were left to the individual state courts to handle. This meant that there was no unified interpretation of laws across the states, leading to inconsistency and potential conflicts.
The central government did have the power to establish a court to resolve disputes between states or appeal cases from state courts. However, this power was rarely exercised, and the central government lacked the ability to enforce decisions made by such a court. Consequently, the judicial branch of the central government lacked significant authority and often relied on the cooperation of the states to carry out its decisions.
In summary, under the Articles of Confederation, the executive and judicial branches of the central government were weak and limited in their powers. The lack of a centralized executive leader and a robust court system contributed to the inefficiencies and shortcomings of the Articles government, ultimately leading to its replacement with the current Constitution.