Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation Language Research Paper

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Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
Introduction
The Articles of Confederation provided a clear framework through which the first government of the United States was formed through the unification of the 13 colonies that were involved in the processes of fighting in the American Revolution. McGuire (149) explains that the Articles of Confederation created a proper framework for the Federation of the newly amalgamated 13 states and was considered as the first constitution of the United States. Stepanicich (1507) reveals that originally, the Articles were considered as a legally binding document that provided the guidelines needed to streamline the functional procedures of the national government after the successful ratification of the 13 states in 1777. According to McGrath et al. (32), the current constitution was formed as a way of responding to the weaknesses depicted by the Articles. Dry and Storing (108) demystify that a few years after the ratification process, the Articles underwent multiple severe criticisms from the Founding Fathers of the United States of America.
According to Smith (40), the Founding Fathers’ concerns emanating from the view that the Articles demeaned the national government of its inherent powers and subjected it to the vulnerabilities and mercies of the state governments. Consequently, Vile (3) reveals that key political stakeholders arrived at the general agreement of restructuring the Articles to ensure that they were effective in meeting the needs of the nation in its entirety, an aspect that led to the conception of the current U.S Constitution. The current study seeks to undertake a critical analysis of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, and how the founding fathers addressed each of these issues in the Constitution. In the analysis, the study argues that while the Articles of Confederation revealed multiple areas of weakness, the three most noteworthy flaws included its inability to present the Congress with proper powers of imposing and controlling taxes. As well, minimal powers accorded to the federal/ national court system and according to each state a single vote in Congress without proper consideration of their sizes.
Problem 1: Congress had Minimal Powers under the Articles
Hacker and Pierson (2) explain that the Articles of Confederation were only influential in strengthening the States even though it accorded minimal powers to the central government. According to Vile (3), the Articles provided a framework through which each of the states in the U.S was accorded the inherent capabilities of retaining their “its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right... not... expressly delegated to the United States in Congress assembled”. Therefore, Smith (41) reveals that the Congress was demeaned of essential powers needed to run the central government. For instance, the central government through the Congress lacked the powers of imposing and controlling the taxation policies adopted by the individual states. Therefore, Stepanicich (1507) reveals that the Articles of Confederation only left the central government to rely on the individual state’s will to decide to avail the desired fiscal support. On the other hand, the researchers reveal that since the Articles of Confederation did not give provisions to guide the processes of including an executive arm aimed at foreseeing the enforcement of the laws and regulatory frameworks passed by Congress, minimal progress was achieved since the individual states did not respond to notices touching pertinent issues such as taxation.
The Articles of Confederation gave individual states the status of independent entities. Therefore, Dry and Storing (108) explain that such a position only left the central government with miniature roles such as organizing for the common defense, fostering the security of the country’s liberties, and engaging in the general welfare. According to McGuire (149), Congress played the roles of coining money, making agreements and treaties with foreign economies, declaring warfare, institutionalizing the country’s postal service and managing the affairs of Native Americans. On the other hand, the Congress was demeaned from collecting taxes and institutionalizing proper laws of regulating the country’s commercial activities despite the financially draining roles they were supposed to accomplish.
Problem 2: Lack of a National Court System
The inability of the Articles of Confederation to avail the citizens of the United States with proper judicial systems in the form of courts hindered the operational efficiency of the country’s residents both at the Federal and State levels. According to Smith (42), both governments were faced with challenges in the processes of enacting laws. Consequently, Stepanicich (1507) reveals that judicial stakeholders were faced with the vul...