what are some of the problems caused by the articles of confederation?

Answer 1

The reasons for the having the Articles of Confederation was so that the individual State republics could work together in certain specific governmental areas and be recognized by other governments as some form of a whole. During the war this worked quit well, it was after the war when problems began to arise.

The government (Members of the Congress and its elected President) could act within the 13 Articles of Confederation. Other issues required unanimous agreement among the member States. For example, how to raise moneys through taxes.

One of the central elements of the Articles of Confederation was the power of the States. This was recognized in the 1783 Treaty of Peace signed in Paris between Great Britain and the general government representing the 13 States under the Articles of Confederation (one of the things it was created to do).

As governments will often do, the relationship between the 13 States and the general government they created evolved and new needs were recognized leading to the convention to alter the Articles of Confederation.

The point is that what we view today as problems were changing needs which generated incentives to evolve government. It wasn’t an absolute that all wanted the proposed Constitution which came out of the Convention. It wasn’t even an absolute that all wanted to remain in the Articles of Confederation. It was a narrow thing that the proposed Constitution was even ratified. What we view today as too much power in the States was preferred by many of that day. Looking at decisions of those times through the lens of our time’s ethics will most often lead to incorrect conclusions.

Answer 2

The federal government had little to no power- because of the many rights that states had, the government could not make executive decisions to have taxes or anything. There was no federal court system or president, so state fights could not be settled.