What was the main issue with the Articles of Confederation?

• A. Too strong central government.
• B. Excessive executive power.
• C. No authority to regulate taxes or commerce and lacked a strong central government.
• D. Too much taxation.

Answer: (C)

The central problem was that the national government under the Articles of Confederation could not tax or regulate commerce, and it was too weak overall. The United States formed a loose alliance where states kept most of their sovereignty. Congress could request money and handle war matters or treaties, but it had no power to compel funding from the states, no authority to regulate trade between states or with other nations, no executive branch to enforce laws, and no national courts to settle disputes. Because amending the framework required unanimous agreement, the government couldn’t adapt to new needs or effectively respond to problems. This combination—no sovereign ability to raise revenue and no strong central structure—best captures why the Articles were considered inadequate.

It isn’t that the central government was overpowered, or that there was excessive executive authority, or that taxes were too high—the real issue was the opposite: the government lacked essential powers to govern effectively.