The Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation, drafted in 1796, were adopted in order to establish a single-chamber national Congress elected by state legislatures and establish states’ rights; though the Articles balanced power within states, the individual power each state had was the downfall of the Confederation due to the difficulty of uniform agreement and lack of economic power. The Articles of Confederation served as an effective form of government for the new nation because it included a congress that represented each colony, linked each state together for joint action dealing with foreign affairs. Also, the Articles protected the potential for an oppressive central government through the balance of power between states and was, for its time, a landmark in government and a step towards the present Constitution by outlining general powers and strengthening union. However, the downfall of the Articles was caused by the difficulty of uniform agreement and lack of economic control. The amending process was a struggle because unanimity was a requirement where each state had a single vote. Furthermore, it had no power to regulate commerce and could not enforce a tax-collection program, which proved to be a problem due to the varying tariffs and navigation laws each state was free to establish. Overall, the Articles of Confederation were an effective form of government for the new nation by its balance of power throughout the states, yet lacked unanimity and economic control.