Final answer:
Article 4 of the Articles of Confederation helped establish federalism by dividing powers between the federal government and the states, but ultimately revealed the need for a stronger central government as realized in the U.S. Constitution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks how Article 4 of the Articles of Confederation contributes to the central ideas of the document. The correct answer is A: Article 4 establishes the division of powers between the federal government and the states, reinforcing the concept of federalism. Under the Articles of Confederation, the balance of power was weighted heavily in favor of the states, which left the federal government weak and unable to address key issues such as taxation, security, and inter-state disputes effectively.
This led to the development of the United States Constitution, which, unlike the Articles, established a stronger central government while maintaining the principle of federalism, where powers are still shared between the federal government and the states.