USA HISTORY

MAKING OF A NEW NATION 1776 1800

THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
The first U.S. government was so weak because Americans were afraid to give their new government ____ power.
A
Too little
B
Too much
C
Neutral Amount
D
None of the above
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -The Articles made the national Congress weak on purpose. Having just won independence from Britain, many Americans feared that creating a strong federal government with too much authority over the states would only replace King George III with another tyrant.

Detailed explanation-2: -The central government couldn’t collect taxes to fund its operations. The Confederation relied on the voluntary efforts of the states to send tax money to the central government. Lacking funds, the central government couldn’t maintain an effective military or back its own paper currency.

Detailed explanation-3: -One of the biggest problems was that the national government had no power to impose taxes. To avoid any perception of “taxation without representation, ” the Articles of Confederation allowed only state governments to levy taxes. To pay for its expenses, the national government had to request money from the states.

Detailed explanation-4: -Congress was unable to impose taxes; it could only borrow money on credit. No national court system was established to protect the rights of U.S. citizens. No executive branch was established to enforce laws. Amendments could be added only with the approval of all 13 states.

Detailed explanation-5: -The Anti-Federalists opposed the ratification of the 1787 U.S. Constitution because they feared that the new national government would be too powerful and thus threaten individual liberties, given the absence of a bill of rights.

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