The problems with the Articles of Confederation are all related to inadequate powers of the national government with too much power for the state. The framers of the Constitution aimed to build on the strengths of the Articles of Confederation but also fix the problems with the Articles of Confederation.
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. Foreign governments were reluctant to loan money to a nation that might never repay it.
