Question

Evaluate the extent to which the Articles of Confederation created an ineffective government between 1781 and 1789.

Answer 1

Answer: The major problem was that the national government was given limited power and they couldn't enforce any laws on the individual states which made them weak.

Explanation: The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was an agreement among the 13 original states of the United States of America that served as its first constitution with the purpose of planning the structure for a new government. At this time, the people were loyal to their individual states rather than the nation as a whole.

Firstly, the Articles gave Congress the power to pass laws but no power to enforce those laws and if a state did not support a federal law, that state could simply ignore it. Secondly, Congress had no power to levy taxes or regulate trade and without a federal court system or executive leader, there was no way to enforce these laws either. Finally, amending the Articles of Confederation would require a unanimous decision, which proved extremely difficult.

All these contributed to an ineffective national government as each state was sovereign.