Question

Why did the Articles of Confederation fail to provide for a national government strong enough to accomplish its goals?

a. Its authors created an executive much like the British monarch, leaving the legislature with little power.
b. It made it difficult for people and goods to move through the confederacy.
c. After their experience under British rule, its authors feared a strong central government.
d. It did not include a provision for adding new states to the confederacy.

Answer 1

The Articles of Confederation failed because they were designed to keep the central government weak to prevent tyranny, leading to issues like difficulty raising an army and economic instability, which necessitated the creation of a stronger federal government.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Articles of Confederation failed to provide for a strong national government capable of accomplishing its goals mainly because its authors feared creating a central authority that could become as oppressive as British rule.

This fear stemmed from their recent experiences under a monarchy and led to the establishment of a government where sovereignty rested with the states, resulting in a weak central government.

One major consequence of this was the inability of the national government to raise an army or levy taxes, which became apparent during events such as Shays' Rebellion.

As problems continued to arise, such as economic downturns and the lack of a uniform system to deal with foreign affairs and national defense, it became clear that the Articles were inadequate.

Eventually, this led to the Constitutional Convention, where a new framework was created balancing the need for a stronger federal government with the independence of the states.