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.

The Articles of Confederation established a weak national government that consisted of a one-house legislature. The Congress had the power to declare war, sign treaties, and settle disputes between states, as well as borrow or print money.

The Articles of Confederation created a confederation in the United States. A confederation is a government in which the state government, not national, have dominant power. The leaders of the new nation feared that a strong, centralized government would lead to tyrannical monarchy like the British government.

A unicameral body with legislative and executive function, it was composed of delegates appointed by the legislatures of the several states. Each state delegation had one vote. It was preceded by the Second Continental Congress (1775–1781) and was created by the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union in 1781.

Article III described the confederation as “a firm league of friendship” of states “for their common defence, the security of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare.” This league would have a unicameral congress as the central institution of government; as in the past, each state had one vote, and …

Under the Articles of Confederation—the constitution in effect during the framers’ 1787 deliberations—members of the existing Congress received varying salaries from their individual states. As one of its first orders of business, the House of Representatives formed a committee to draft congressional pay legislation.

The central government under the Articles of Confederation, composed of delegates chosen by state governments. Each state had one vote in the Congress, regardless of its population.

In both articles, the nation has been recognized as the United States of America. In both, the laws are made by the legislature, whereby the articles of confederation have only one house which is referred to as Congress, and the constitution has got two houses.