Question

What fundamental problem did noah Webster see in the Articles of Confederation?

A. that states would always work in their own self-interest even if it meant harm to the nation as whole
B. that the central covernment would always favor large states over the smaller states when disputes broke out
C. that small states would have just as much say in the government as larger states
D. that the states would have no way to stop the central covernment feom imposing harsh taxes on them

Answer 1

Noah Webster identified the problem with the Articles of Confederation as the creation of a central government too weak to effectively function, such that it could not tax, raise an army, or regulate commerce sufficiently.

Step-by-step explanation:

The fundamental problem Noah Webster saw in the Articles of Confederation was that it created a central government too weak to function effectively. Given the immense concern for individual liberty and fear of a tyrannical central authority that followed the fight for independence from Britain, the Articles were designed to limit the powers of the national government significantly, thereby preserving the sovereignty of the states. However, this led to a government that lacked the essential abilities to tax, to raise an army, or to regulate commerce reliably — functions critical to the maintenance of a nation.

Webster, along with other nationalists, strongly believed that the Articles needed to be reformed in order to grant the national government more power. The issues of the relative strength of the national versus state governments and the apportionment of representation in the new central government were highly divisive. The wish for a strong central government that could work for the collective benefit of the nation was at odds with the desire to protect individual states' powers and interests, a stance that sometimes resulted in states obstructing measures that would benefit the nation as a whole but not necessarily their own interests.