A confederation is a loose association of independent states or territories that have joined together for a common purpose, typically to provide mutual defense or to coordinate economic and political policies. In a confederation, the central authority has limited powers, and the member states retain a high degree of autonomy and sovereignty.
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The Articles of Confederation, adopted in 1781, established the United States as a confederation of independent states with a weak central government.
In a confederation, the central authority has limited powers, and the member states retain a high degree of autonomy and sovereignty.
The lack of a strong central government under the Articles of Confederation led to economic and political instability, which ultimately led to the adoption of the U.S. Constitution in 1787.
Confederations are often formed to provide mutual defense or to coordinate economic and political policies among member states.
The failure of the Articles of Confederation to effectively govern the United States was a key factor in the decision to replace it with the U.S. Constitution, which established a stronger, more centralized federal government.
Review Questions
Describe the key features of a confederation and how they were reflected in the Articles of Confederation.
A confederation is a loose association of independent states or territories that have joined together for a common purpose, typically to provide mutual defense or to coordinate economic and political policies. The central authority in a confederation has limited powers, and the member states retain a high degree of autonomy and sovereignty. The Articles of Confederation, which was the first constitution of the United States, established the country as a confederation of independent states with a weak central government. This decentralized structure led to economic and political instability, which ultimately led to the adoption of the U.S. Constitution in 1787, which established a stronger, more centralized federal government.
Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the confederation model as exemplified by the Articles of Confederation.
The confederation model, as exemplified by the Articles of Confederation, had both strengths and weaknesses. On the positive side, it allowed the member states to retain a high degree of autonomy and sovereignty, which was important to them after the Revolutionary War. It also provided a framework for mutual defense and coordination of economic and political policies. However, the key weakness of the confederation model was the lack of a strong central government, which led to economic and political instability. The central authority under the Articles of Confederation had limited powers, and the member states were often unwilling to cede their autonomy to the central government. This resulted in a weak and ineffective federal government that was unable to effectively govern the country, leading to the eventual replacement of the Articles of Confederation with the U.S. Constitution.
Evaluate the historical significance of the transition from the Articles of Confederation to the U.S. Constitution, and how it shaped the development of the American political system.
The transition from the Articles of Confederation to the U.S. Constitution was a pivotal moment in American history that shaped the development of the country's political system. The Articles of Confederation established the United States as a confederation of independent states with a weak central government, which led to economic and political instability. The failure of the Articles of Confederation to effectively govern the country was a key factor in the decision to replace it with the U.S. Constitution, which established a stronger, more centralized federal government. The U.S. Constitution, with its system of checks and balances and division of power between the federal and state governments, has been the foundation of the American political system for over 200 years. The transition from the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution marked a shift from a decentralized, confederation-based system to a more unified, federal system of government, which has had a lasting impact on the development of the United States as a nation.
The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States, which established a confederation of independent states with a weak central government.
The supreme power or authority of a state or territory, especially the power to govern itself without outside control.
Decentralized Government: A system of government in which power and decision-making authority are distributed among multiple, relatively autonomous levels or units, rather than being centralized.