Articles+of+Confederation

= The strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. =

Summary
The Articles of Confederation was very weak and was approved on November 15th,1777. The weaknesses of the Articles is that there was no single currency; States could coin their own money, States had too much power, Federal Congress has to ask states for permission to tax, raise an army, to change anything in the Articles, no president to direct, and no national court system. The Articles of Confederation failed due to its weaknesses, and later on the Constitution of the United States was created and was successful. The Constitution was ratified in 1787. The legislative branch makes the laws( the Congress which is made up of 2 branches, the house of representatives and senate create laws). The executive branch executes the laws (The president). The judicial branch interprets the laws (The Supreme Court). The Constitution is supreme law of the land. Ratification (approval): 9 of the 13 states at that time have to approve. The strengths of the Articles of Confederation were the Northwest Ordinance and Land Ordinance of 1785 set up the Congress. The Northwest Ordinance (formally An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States, North-West of the River Ohio, and also known as the Freedom Ordinance) was an act of the Congress of the Confederation of the United States. The Land Ordinance of 1785 was adopted by the United States Congress on May 20, 1785. Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress did not have the power to raise revenue by direct taxation of the inhabitants of the United States. Anyways, the Constitution was then ratified and is still here today, while the Articles of Confederation failed attempting at creating a constitution and national government for the United States of America.

__Articles of Confederation :__ 1. Major powers held by individual states 2. National government had no power to tax, no power to enforce laws 3. At the national level- one house legislature, no executive, no court system __The Constitution:__ 1. Powers shared between states and central government 2. National government had power to tax and regulate trade 3. Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches