Final answer:
The Articles of Confederation structured a decentralized government with a unicameral legislature. Congress had limited powers, lacking the ability to tax or control foreign policy. Extreme importance was placed on state power, but this setup lacked the ability to combat significant economic problems.
Step-by-step explanation:
Articles of Confederation - Structure, Powers, and State Obligations
Under the Articles of Confederation, authority was decentralized. The structure included a unicameral legislature, known as the Continental Congress. Members of the national Congress were established by state legislatures. Significant in this setup was no provision of a president or national judiciary.
In terms of the powers of Congress, it was granted the authority to coin money and make alliances. Yet, they lacked the ability to impose taxes or control foreign policy, which made the national government subordinate.
State obligations were prominent, reflecting a dominant view that power should reside with the states, not a national government. However, this left both the state governments and the Confederation government unable to solve significant economic problems, which became evident in crises such as the war debt and Shays' Rebellion.
The limitations and challenges of the original Articles of Confederation eventually led to it being replaced by the Constitution in 1789, which processed a stronger central governmental authority.
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