Question

What was a major problem with the central government under the Articles of Confederation?

Answer 1

Anti-Federalists complained that a strong central government would give too much power to the federal government while taking too much power from state and local governments.

Answer 2

The biggest issue with the Articles of Confederation was that it placed virtually all power within the Congress. This Congress had power to draft and pass laws, but the Articles of Confederation had no provisions allowing an executive branch to enforce those laws within the states. Furthermore, there was no central judicial system to interpret disputes about the laws of the Congress. This meant that the Congress simply had no power behind the laws that it passed, which allowed the states simply to ignore any certain laws that weren't in their best interests.

Simply put, the Articles of Confederation created a central government that was far too weak to be of real value.