Final answer:
The central government in a confederation derives its power from the state or provincial governments. Under the Articles of Confederation, the U.S. had a weak national government, which led to the adoption of a federal constitution for stronger central governance.
Step-by-step explanation:
In a confederation, the central government gets its power from the state or provincial governments. States join together for certain purposes like defense but retain their autonomy in most governing aspects. Under the Articles of Confederation, which was the first constitution of the United States, this arrangement led to a national government that was too weak to effectively manage the nation's issues, such as servicing the war debt, handling commercial disputes, or maintaining defense without the full cooperation of the states.
As a result of such weaknesses, delegates at the convention decided to establish a stronger central government under a new federal constitution which eventually replaced the confederation framework.