Final answer:
The Articles of Confederation established a national government that lacked the power to tax, had no control over trade, and had no separate executive or judiciary branches, resulting in a weak central authority with limited capabilities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Articles of Confederation created a national government with very limited powers, and there are several key points to understand about its structure and capabilities. First, the government lacked the power to tax; it could only request money from the states. Second, the government had no control over trade; it could neither regulate interstate commerce nor enforce foreign treaties effectively. Lastly, under the Articles, there was no separate executive branch to enforce acts of Congress and there was no national judiciary, meaning that all of the government's powers were vested in a single body - the Confederation Congress. While the Confederation Congress did have certain powers, such as the ability to coin money, declare war, and create land ordinances, its overall authority was significantly weaker than the current U.S. national government.