Final answer:
During the Articles of Confederation era, two major weaknesses of the national government were its inability to resolve public finance issues and to address border and trade relations effectively, demonstrating the necessity for a stronger central government.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Gordon, the weaknesses of the national government during the Articles of Confederation era (Option A) included a lack of power to resolve important issues. The government under the Articles of Confederation was not only ineffective and powerless but also struggled with significant economic challenges and could not establish beneficial commercial relations with other countries.
Two standout weaknesses were the inability of the Confederation Congress to address issues of public finance caused by the Revolutionary War and the difficulty in resolving border issues and securing better commercial relations with countries such as Spain and Great Britain. These constraints evidenced the need for a stronger central government, which eventually led to the creation of the U.S. Constitution.