The most powerful was economic prosperity of European countries. They could exploit the land and the people of Africa and take their raw resources such as diamonds for example and take them to Europe. There they would be able to make goods with them and sell them to people for a lot of money and this meant that they would grow vastly richer than they were before.
The government created under the Articles lacked the power to tax. And the only way it could get money to pay its debts was to ask states to give funds. But states didn't have to or didn't give enough. So all in all the federal government was pretty weak.
A rule made by the government is a law.
