Final answer:
The United States Constitution differed from the Articles of Confederation by creating a national government with 3 distinct branches, establishing a sturdier balance of power between the national and state governments.
Step-by-step explanation:
One way in which the United States Constitution differed from the Articles of Confederation was that the Constitution created a national government having 3 branches. This structure was a significant change from the one-house congress of the Articles of Confederation, which had no separate executive or judicial branch and gave the majority of power to the state governments. The Constitution established a system with a stronger central government that included a separate executive branch, headed by the president, a bicameral legislative branch (Congress), and a national judiciary (the judicial branch), designed to balance the powers of the national government and the states.