Final answer:
Under the Articles of Confederation, the federal government had limited power compared to the states. It could declare war, make treaties, coin currency, and settle disputes between states, but it had no independent chief executive or judiciary, and decisions required unanimous approval of all thirteen states.
Step-by-step explanation:
Under the Articles of Confederation, the federal government had limited power compared to the states. The main reason for this was that the Articles of Confederation created a decentralized system where the states held more authority than the national government. The federal government had the power to declare war, make treaties with foreign governments and Indian tribes, coin currency, and settle disputes states.