Constitution of the United States Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Without a regular source of income, the federal government could not pay its war debts and other expenses. The federal government could not levy taxes. This weakened the structure of the federal government because there was no administrator. There was no president.

Among the powers delegated to Congress are the right to levy taxes, borrow money, regulate interstate commerce, provide for military forces, declare war, and determine member seating and rules of procedure. The House initiates impeachment proceedings, and the Senate adjudicates them.

Terms in this set (8)

• No Chief Executive.
• Laws needed approval by all thirteen states to be passed.
• Congress did not have the power to tax citizens.
• Congress could not draft an army.
• No national court system.
• Any changes to the constitution must be approved by all thirteen states.

One feature of the Articles of Confederation was that Congress did not have the power to settle disputes among states. The Articles guaranteed that each state would keep its individual power, freedom, and independence.

It also lacked the power to regulate interstate commerce. The major powers it did have were to make war and peace, to coin money, and to conduct diplomacy. There was also no federal executive (though there was a President of Congress) to enforce the laws the Congress could make, and no federal judiciary.

One of the biggest problems was that the national government had no power to impose taxes. To avoid any perception of “taxation without representation,” the Articles of Confederation allowed only state governments to levy taxes. To pay for its expenses, the national government had to request money from the states.

Who Wrote the Articles of Confederation? Altogether, six drafts of the Articles were prepared before Congress settled on a final version in 1777. Benjamin Franklin wrote the first and presented it to Congress in July 1775.

The Articles of Confederation contain thirteen articles and a conclusion. They were signed by forty-eight people from the thirteen states. Signers included Samuel Adams, John Dickinson, Elbridge Gerry, John Hancock, Richard Henry Lee, Gouverneur Morris, Robert Morris, Roger Sherman, and John Witherspoon.

The Confederation Congress agreed and the Constitutional Convention of 1787 effectively ended the era of the Articles of Confederation.

Ultimately, the Articles of Confederation failed because they were crafted to keep the national government as weak as possible: There was no power to enforce laws. No judicial branch or national courts. Amendments needed to have a unanimous vote.

These included:

• Each state only had one vote in Congress, regardless of size.
• Congress did not have the power to tax.
• Congress did not have the power to regulate foreign and interstate commerce.
• There was no executive branch to enforce any acts passed by Congress.
• There was no national court system or judicial branch.

How did the constitution fix the weaknesses of the articles of confederation? The Constitution fixed the weaknesses by allowing the central government certain powers/rights. Congress now has the right to levy taxes. Congress has the ability to regulate trade between states and other countries.

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 main problem with the Articles of Confederation was that the federal government was simply too weak to establish and maintain order. The government depended on the states for funding and military as it did not have the power to levy taxes and provide the army it needed to be efficient.

Cause: The government under the Articles of Confederation could not collect taxes to raise money. Effect: The government could not pay its debts from the Revolutionary War, and America lost standing with other nations.

The Articles of Confederation created a national government composed of a Congress, which had the power to declare war, appoint military officers, sign treaties, make alliances, appoint foreign ambassadors, and manage relations with Indians.

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.