Malcolm Rivera
The United States Constitution of 1787 replaced the Articles of Confederation, which had presented the new nation with numerous challenges. The Articles established a weak central government with limited powers, lacking the authority to regulate commerce, pass or enforce laws, or make treaties. This led to issues with foreign policy, trade, and economic competition between states. The Constitution aimed to address these problems by creating a federal government with a series of checks and balances, dividing power between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Weak central government | Lacked powers beyond defending the states as a group |
| No executive official or judicial branch | N/A |
| One chamber in Congress, each state had one vote | Empowered states to act independently |
| Congress needed 9 out of 13 states to pass laws | N/A |
| Inability to pass or enforce laws that individual states found counter to their interests | N/A |
| Inability to regulate commerce | N/A |
| Inability to protect or standardize trade between foreign nations and the various states | N/A |
| Inability to ban the importation of enslaved people from outside of the US | N/A |
| Competition between individual states | Issued their own currencies and levied taxes on goods from other states |
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What You'll Learn
The central government was weak and lacked authority
The United States Constitution of 1787 ended the era of the Articles of Confederation, which had established a weak central government with few powers beyond defending the states as a group. The Articles of Confederation had established "the United States of America" as a perpetual union, but it lacked an executive official or judicial branch. The Confederation Congress only had one chamber, with each state holding one vote, reinforcing the power of the states to act independently.
The central government lacked the authority to regulate commerce, making it unable to protect or standardize trade between foreign nations and the various states. This led to economic competition between the individual states, which issued their own currencies and levied taxes on goods from other states. The government also faced challenges in conducting foreign policy, as it was unable to pass or enforce laws that individual states found counter to their interests. For example, many states blocked the enforcement of provisions in the 1783 Treaty of Paris, which stipulated that debts owed by Americans to British subjects were to be honoured, leading to a refusal by the British to vacate military forts in US territory.
The weakness of Congress under the Articles of Confederation had negative consequences. The lack of authority to regulate commerce and conduct effective foreign policy led to a deadlock along sectional lines between the North and South. This, along with other issues, such as the payment of debts from the Revolutionary War, led to the creation of a model of government that relied on a series of checks and balances by dividing federal authority between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches.
The framers of the Constitution had originally imagined a weak presidency and a strong legislature divided into a House of Representatives and the Senate. However, as deliberations continued, the executive branch acquired more power to deal with issues that had been a source of sectional tension under the Articles of Confederation, and the president acquired the authority to conduct foreign relations.
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States operated independently from the central government
The United States Constitution, which came into effect in 1789, replaced the Articles of Confederation, which had established "the United States of America" as a perpetual union formed to defend the states as a group. However, the Articles of Confederation lacked a key component: an executive official or judicial branch. This meant that states operated independently from the central government.
The Articles of Confederation had established a unicameral Congress, with each state holding one vote. This reinforced the power of the states to act independently, even when it was not in the nation's best interests. For example, Congress needed nine out of 13 states to pass any laws, and states often failed to comply with Congress's requests to raise revenue towards the national debt.
The federal government faced challenges in conducting foreign policy, as it could not pass or enforce laws that individual states found counter to their interests. An example of this was the 1783 Treaty of Paris, which ended the American War of Independence. The treaty stipulated that debts owed by Americans to British subjects were to be honoured, and that former British loyalists could bring suits in US courts to recover confiscated property. These provisions were unpopular, and many states blocked their enforcement, which led to a British refusal to vacate military forts in US territory.
The Confederation Congress also lacked the authority to regulate commerce, making it unable to protect or standardise trade between foreign nations and the various states. States competed against each other economically, issuing their own currencies and even levying taxes on each other's goods when they crossed state lines. This hampered intrastate trade and prevented the nation from becoming an economic powerhouse.
To address these issues, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention created a model of government that divided federal authority between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches, with checks and balances to ensure that no one branch became too powerful.
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Congress lacked the authority to regulate commerce
Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress lacked the authority to regulate commerce, which had a significant impact on the new nation's ability to manage its economy and conduct foreign policy. This lack of regulatory power had several consequences, including:
Inability to Standardize Trade
The absence of centralized control over commerce meant that individual states competed against each other economically. They issued their own currencies, levied taxes on goods from other states, and even imposed import duties on goods from foreign nations. This led to a fragmented and inefficient national economy, with states often pursuing their own interests at the expense of the nation's collective well-being.
Weakness in Foreign Policy
The lack of congressional authority to regulate commerce also hindered the new nation's foreign policy. For example, the 1783 Treaty of Paris, which ended the American War of Independence, included provisions that were unpopular with many states, such as honouring debts owed to British subjects and allowing former British loyalists to sue in US courts for confiscated property. The Confederation Congress could not enforce these provisions, leading to British refusal to vacate military forts in US territory and a flood of British goods into US markets, hurting American importers and manufacturers.
Challenges in Revenue Generation
The new nation faced challenges in addressing its debt from the Revolutionary War. While Congress proposed various methods for states to raise revenue towards the national debt, the states frequently ignored these suggestions. This lack of centralized fiscal control hindered the new nation's ability to manage its finances effectively.
Sectional Deadlocks
The large majorities required for ratifying measures under the Articles of Confederation often resulted in deadlocks between the North and the South. For example, southern delegates wanted to lift the Spanish ban on American ships navigating the Mississippi River, while coastal merchants in the Northeast were willing to make concessions for favourable commercial terms. The inability of Congress to regulate commerce and navigate these sectional differences hampered the nation's ability to conduct cohesive and effective policy-making.
Attempts to Address the Issue
Recognizing the challenges posed by the lack of congressional authority over commerce, Congress appointed a committee in 1785, chaired by delegate James Monroe, to investigate the problem. The committee recommended amending the Articles of Confederation to grant Congress power over commerce. However, despite urging from Congress, few states responded or took action, highlighting the ongoing struggle between state and federal powers in the early years of the new nation.
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The US faced challenges in conducting foreign policy
For instance, the 1783 Treaty of Paris, which ended the American War of Independence, included provisions that were unpopular in the US. These provisions stipulated that debts owed by Americans to British subjects had to be honoured, and that former British loyalists could sue in US courts to recover confiscated property. Many states blocked the enforcement of these provisions, leading to British refusal to vacate military forts on US territory. The Confederation Congress lacked the authority to regulate this situation, as it did not have the power to enforce laws or regulate commerce.
Similarly, after the war, British traders flooded the US market with their goods, which was detrimental to American importers and manufacturers. Again, the Confederation Congress was unable to regulate this trade, and states' attempts to impose import duties on goods from elsewhere hampered intrastate trade.
The central government was designed to be very weak, with few powers beyond defending the states as a group. It lacked an executive official or judicial branch, and the Articles Congress only had one chamber, with each state holding one vote. This dynamic reinforced the power of the states to operate independently from the central government, even when it was not in the nation's best interests.
The large majorities required to ratify measures under the Articles of Confederation often resulted in deadlock along sectional lines between the North and South. For example, southern delegates to the Confederation Congress wanted to lift the Spanish government's ban on American ships navigating the Mississippi River, while coastal merchants in the northeast were willing to make concessions for a favourable commercial treaty.
To address these challenges, the framers of the Constitution created a model of government that divided federal authority between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches, with checks and balances to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful. They also established an executive branch to deal with routine paperwork and gave the president the authority to conduct foreign relations.
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The US had a large national debt
The United States Constitution, which came into effect in 1789, was formulated to address the challenges faced by the new nation under the Articles of Confederation. One significant issue was the large national debt incurred during and after the American War of Independence.
The US National Debt
The US national debt encompasses obligations owed by the federal government and does not include debts carried by state, local governments, or individuals. The federal government borrows money to fund its spending activities and investments when federal revenues are insufficient. This debt enables the government to continue operating and providing essential services to its citizens, even during revenue downturns.
Challenges Post-American War of Independence
The 1783 Treaty of Paris, which concluded the American War of Independence, required Americans to honour debts owed to British subjects. This provision was unpopular, and many states refused to comply. As a consequence, the British refused to vacate military forts on US territory. Additionally, British traders flooded the US markets with their goods, adversely affecting American importers and manufacturers.
Impact of National Debt on Interest Rates and Consumer Finances
The large national debt has significant implications for interest rates and consumer finances. As the national debt increases, interest payments on the debt also rise, becoming a substantial budgetary item. This increase in interest rates affects consumers' abilities to finance homes, cars, and other significant purchases. Higher interest rates also impact investors, with current bondholders experiencing a decrease in the value of their Treasury bonds.
Legislative Efforts and Debt Ceiling
Legislative actions, such as tax cuts or increased spending, can influence the national debt. For example, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimated that a particular bill would add about $3.1 trillion in debt over a decade, including interest. The US Treasury can employ extraordinary measures, such as temporarily suspending certain intragovernmental debt, to continue borrowing and funding essential programs after reaching the debt ceiling. However, the potential repercussions of defaulting on these debts are unknown but could be catastrophic for the US and global markets.
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Frequently asked questions
The Articles of Confederation gave individual states a lot of power to act independently from the central government, which was very weak. Congress lacked the authority to regulate commerce, making it unable to protect or standardize trade between foreign nations and the various states.
The federal government faced many challenges in conducting foreign policy, as it couldn't pass or enforce laws that individual states found counter to their interests. For example, after the American War of Independence, many states blocked the enforcement of provisions in the 1783 Treaty of Paris that were unpopular, such as honouring debts owed to British subjects.
The individual states competed against each other economically, issuing their own currencies and levying taxes on each other's goods. This hampered intrastate trade and prevented the nation from becoming an economic powerhouse.
The framers of the Constitution created a model of government that relied on a series of checks and balances by dividing federal authority between the Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branches. They also established an executive branch to deal with routine paperwork, which gave the President the authority to conduct foreign relations.
