Weakness Of The Articles Of Confederation
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The Articles of Confederation was drafted in 1777 and signed in 1781 by thirteen states. It was an initial declaration of an independent United States. It laid down specific guidelines and procedures about various rules and procedures that were to be followed after Independence. The Articles were heavily tilted in favor of the States governments giving the National government very little power to run the country.
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Although the Articles did manage to bring about certain positives, its weaknesses greatly overshadowed its strengths. Listed below are a few weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation:
- It gave immense power to the State governments. The states had numerous rights to run their State the way they wanted to.
- The States were not responsible for paying taxes to the Central Government. They could offer money if they wished. This led to severe bankruptcy of the National Government, which was soon running out of resources to fund its various Departments.
- The neighboring countries and foreign nations were very apprehensive to sign a deal or trade with the US given the fragile and weak nature of the National Government.
- States could make their own laws and rules. They were not liable to ask the Center for permission.
- The Articles did not allow the Central Government to levy taxes on the American citizens. This crippled the country’s financial system.
- All major laws in the country required approval of at least nine states in the country. This turned out to be a huge disadvantage on part of the U.S. Congress that found it increasingly tough to get the necessary approval. The country requires approval of nine states to go to war with other countries and even to form an international alliance.
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The Articles of Confederation was a premature U.S Constitution in the making. It was drafted and signed by all thirteen states in 1781. More popularly known as Articles, it was severely criticized for its weaknesses and flaws making it turn into a huge failure.