Why The Articles Of Confederation Fail

The aftermath of instituting the Articles of Confederation brought about rebellion and tensions between states. The Articles of Confederation have failed the U.S. and need to be replaced by something new. The Articles of Confederation have been a flawed system of government from the start. These Articles were caused by them being written in haste and in fear. The Articles of Confederation were written when the U.S. declared independence from Britain and they did not want to leave the chance of a tyrannical government moving in. The government under the Articles of Confederation lacks the ability to impose a tax, enforce laws or make treatise. These are the fundamental powers of a government. We as Federalists believe that a strong centralized
Article 2 states “Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom and independence, and every Power, Jurisdiction and right, which is not by this confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled”(Dickinson). It hands over all powers to the states, while leaving itself with very few seeing as there are only 5 articles. Article 3 goes on to make a very weak bond between the states using the phrase “league of friendship”( Dickson). A country’s states should not be bound something as week as friendship. Friendship is very fickle, one day you help each other but another one is upset and there is no bond. These states could decide not to help each other over anything seeing as how it is a league of friendship with no true binding clause. The states are given all the power to start. Central Government is left with literally nothing. Anti Federalists argue that this document sanctions the states to govern themselves, placing confidence in states to govern themselves. This trust however was proven to be ill bestowed during Shay’s Rebellion. The farmer’s upset over the states jailing them for the debt that was caused by the war to