What is The Articles of Confederation?
The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States of America. The Article said how the nation's government was to operate. The Article was finished in March of 1781. It was capable of making was, negotiting diplomatic agreements, and resolving issues with the western teritories. The Articles were created by the representatives of the states in Second Continental Congress out of a need to have a plan of securing freedom, sovereignty, and independence of the United States.
George Washington, Alexander Hamilton and others felt that the Articles lacked the necessary things to run a stable government. Like-- there was no president, agencies, national court or judiciary. There was also no tax base, no way to pay off state and national debts from war over the years.
Under the Article of Confederation, the Confederation Congress could make decisions, but it had no power to enforce and of them. Congress had been denied any powers of tacation: it could only request money from the states. The states did not generally give money with the request in full. So both Congress and the Continental Army was short on money. Congress had also been denied the power to regulate foreign trade. So all the states had control of their foreign trades.
In 1778, the Article was replaced by the United States Constitution and the government stated to began in 1789.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articles_of_Confederation
Why did the Government fail?
The federal government was given imporant responsiblities by they had no real power. Federal government was weak because most of the law making power was given to the states. When representatives were elected from each state they had one vote per person. The single vote per person was hard because to be made a law that law had to have two or three vote.
Another reason was that Congress was always short of money for programs. They were in debt because they also did not have the money to pay for the wars in the past.Anarchy and Self- interest were tearing the states apart.
http://www.experts123.com/q/why-did-the-articles-of-confederation-fail.html
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