How was the Articles of Confederation set up?

Question

I know they had a one-house legislature but thats about it. I'm writing a speech for moch congressional hearing and our group subject is on the influences of the consitution we have today so I would like to know how the Article of Confederation were set up. Thank you very much. :D

Answer 1

There was a one house legislature with equal representation, so each state had only one vote. For a law to pass, 9 out of 13 states had to agree. To amend the articles, it had to be unanimous - all states had to agree. There was a very weak president, but his job was to basically approve anything that came his way. There was no federal court system.
The government under the Articles could not tax, set tariffs, regulate trade, coin money. They had great issues with economic problems, obviously. They also had issues with England and Spain.
The Articles were so weak that after Shays' Rebellion, many governmental leaders realized that something needed to be done to strengthen the government. The effort to make the states stronger had backfired, and while people didn't want a federal government as strong as England's, they felt it needed to be strengthened.

Answer 2

There was a also an executive branch made up of the 13 governors of the 13 colonies, rather than a single president. I don't think the courts were different than in the Constitution, but I'm not sure.

Answer 3

the articles of confederation were set up to basically promote trade with and in the Americas. you have to remember that at that time if you asked a person in Philadelphia what country he was a citizen of he would look at you like you were stupid and say Pennsylvania. the united states, as we know it today, did not exist at that time. every state thought of itself as a sovereign country.