The main differences of the US Constitution and the Articles of Confederation are:
- The Articles of Confederation established a weak central government with only one branch because after the American Revolution, people feared that a strong government could lead to tyranny.
- Under the US Constitution the federal government is strong and divided by three branches (executive, bicameral legislature, judicial), with a system of checks and balances to prevent abuse of power.
- The US Constitution gives one vote per Representative or Senator, and the Articles of Confederation gave one vote to each state.
- The US Constitution states that the Supreme Court is the judge of disputes between states, and under the Articles of Confederation the central government was not able to deal with disputes between states.
- Under the Articles of Confederation the central government didn't had power to collect taxes, states owned that power, and in the US Constitution the federal government has the power to collect taxes.
- Unanimous consent was needed for ratification under the Articles of Confederation, while in the US Constitution only 9 states are needed.
The addition of the Bill of Rights under the US Constitution where rights and liberties of the citizens are stated is also a great difference.