Articles of Confederation

==Confederation== - A group of states under a weak central government

==State Government Powers==

  • taxation
  • create a state court system
  • enforce laws passed by Congress
  • all powers not delegated to the national government

==National Government Powers==

  • limited powers
  • declare war and wage war
  • make treaties
  • settle disputes between states
  • petition, or request, money from the states (but no power to collect)
  • direct the operations of land and naval forces

==Weaknesses== of the Articles of Confederation

  • national government ==cannot impose or collect taxes==
  • ==no== national currency
  • ==no== national court system
  • ==no== executive branch
  • ==no== power to regulate trade among the states
  • ==one vote per state== regardless of population
  • ==two-thirds majority== (nine of thirteen states) ==needed to pass laws==
  • ==unanimous consent (thirteen states)== needed to ==amend the Articles of Confederation==

==What Congress Could Do==

  • Congress was single branch of govt.
  • Congress has the authority to conduct wars and foreign relations
  • power to appropriate, issue and borrow money
  • power to make laws
  • settle controversies involving settlement and development of Western lands
  • Northwest Ordinance of 1787 - greatest success under the Articles as it established the criteria for statehood for the territories in the NW

==Powers denied to the Central Government==

  • Could not regulate trade
  • draft troops
  • levy taxes directly on the people
  • had no chief executive
  • national courts

==Weaknesses==

  • Could not resolve disputes between states
  • could not wage war effectively with no $ or chief executive
  • could not raise $ to pay the national debt and states refused to give enough $
  • no strong leader to make decisions
  • without national courts, no way to interpret law or resolve disputes between states
  • each state had 1 vote regardless of size = small states has disproportionate power
  • at least 9 states had to approve important measures; unanimous for amendments = difficult to legislate and govern
  • Congress commanded a little respect from among the states and from other nations