Final answer:
States' rights advocates within the Confederacy opposed the central government's attempts to assert control over resources and conscription, significantly weakening the Confederate war effort. This internal struggle, combined with economic hindrances such as the Union blockade and inflation, as well as a smaller population base, undermined the Confederacy during the Civil War.
Step-by-step explanation:
States' rights significantly hampered the government of the Confederacy during the Civil War. The Confederate constitution was rooted in the principle of state sovereignty, and this focus led to internal conflicts when the Confederate central government attempted to consolidate power to effectively conduct the war. Confederate politicians disagreed over the central government's power, particularly its right to conscript troops, impose taxation, and requisition resources. Governors of Confederate states often hesitated to supply troops or materials, and even Vice President Alexander Stephens opposed measures such as conscription and the suspension of habeas corpus. Class divisions further compounded these issues, with poorer whites resenting the exemptions granted to wealthy slaveholders from military service.
Southern planters, while influential in the federal government, favored a weak central authority, fearing that a strong government might interfere with slavery. However, the necessity of directing a war effort meant the Confederate government had to take control of the southern economy and infrastructure, leading to a contradictory expansion of central power, which was opposed by strong states' rights advocates. This ideological division within the Confederacy undermined its ability to mobilize effectively against the Union forces.
Furthermore, the Union blockade severely restricted the South's economy, and the lack of industrial infrastructure made it hard to support the war. The Confederate government resorted to printing money, which caused inflation. Population disparities and the fact that fighting often took place in the South further disadvantaged the Confederacy.