Congress could raise money only by asking the states for funds, borrowing from foreign governments, or selling western lands. In addition, Congress could not draft soldiers or regulate trade. The Articles of Confederation created a very weak central government.

With the passage of time, weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation became apparent; Congress commanded little respect and no support from state governments anxious to maintain their power. Congress could not raise funds, regulate trade, or conduct foreign policy without the voluntary agreement of the states.

The major downfall of the Articles of Confederation was simply weakness. The federal government, under the Articles, was too weak to enforce their laws and therefore had no power. The Continental Congress had borrowed money to fight the Revolutionary War and could not repay their debts.

Under the Articles, each state could send 2 to 7 delegates to represent them in the national congress, but each state only had one vote. The Articles of Confederation only had one branch of government – the legislative branch or Congress. This is the branch that creates the laws.

The Articles of Confederation did not create a strong national government like we have today. Instead, the Articles of Confederation created a weak national government with limited powers because many Americans feared a strong government would lead to the tyranny they felt under the British government.

How did the Constitution of 1787 attempt to resolve the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation? Unlike in the articles of confederation, the constitution gave the federal government the power to tax, regulate commerce, to control currency, and to pass “necessary” laws.

Terms in this set (4) How did the Constitution overcome the weakness of the Articles of Confederation and provide organization of the new government? The new plan of government centralized power in the federal government at the expense of state authorities.

The Articles created a loose confederation of sovereign states and a weak central government, leaving most of the power with the state governments. The need for a stronger Federal government soon became apparent and eventually led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

Domestic Economy Fixes Congress was given the power to levy and collect taxes for the federal government. The right to create a uniform currency was delegated to the federal government.

The Constitution “fixed” this by creating a bicameral legislature in which representation in one house, the House of Representatives, was based on population–the more people who lived in a state, the more representatives it would send to Congress. In the other house, the Senate, each state had two senators.

The U.S. Constitution, through the Commerce Clause, gives Congress exclusive power over trade activities between the states and with foreign countries. Trade within a state is regulated exclusively by the states themselves.

What problems did the framers “fix”? Some of the major changes were that government now has the authority to impose tax and muster armys together. They placed an executive and judicial branch. They were able to get in-between disputes between states.

The Framers thought that this was necessary because they wanted to avoid having a government or a part of government that was too powerful. The Framers were still worried about the idea of a part of government taking too much power. They were afraid the executive might become a monarch.

The framers of the Constitution created the United States Senate to protect the rights of individual states and safeguard minority opinion in a system of government designed to give greater power to the national government.

The Constitution: What problems did the new Constitution solve? Cause: Small and large states could not agree on how power should be divided in the legislature. Cause: States could and did ignore laws passed by the Congress created by the Articles of Confederation.

The Constitution provides a system of checks and balances designed to avoid the tyranny of any one branch. This division of authority is referred to as “federalism.” The federal government is very strong, with much power over the states, but at the same time, it is limited to the powers enumerated in the Constitution.

Constitutionally speaking, the Congress is by far the most powerful of all the branches of the government. It is the representative of the people (and, originally, the states), and derives its power from the people. As such, it is given power to do the people’s bidding and to rule over the people.

Remember The Constitution is a framework, an outline of our government. The Constitution has stood the test of time because it holds within it principles such as the amendent process as well as its interpretive flexibility, both are necessary requirements if the document is to stand the test of time.

Why has the Constitution survived? The framers of the Constitution established the broad structure of government but also left the system flexible enough to adapt to changing conditions. A document of less than 6,000 words, the Constitution is not overly detailed.