The Articles of Confederation were ratified in 1781 and established a loose alliance of 13 independent states. However, the government under the Articles proved to be too weak to effectively govern the country and several serious problems emerged:
- Lack of National Power: The federal government had no power to tax, regulate commerce, or conduct foreign policy. This made it difficult to address issues that affected the entire country, such as trade disputes with foreign nations.
- Unfair Representation: Each state had one vote in the Continental Congress, regardless of its population. This meant that smaller states had the same power as larger states, even though they had a much smaller population.
- Inability to Amend the Articles: The Articles of Confederation could only be amended with the unanimous consent of all 13 states. This made it impossible to make changes to the Articles even when there was widespread support for them.
The Constitutional Convention was convened in 1787 to address these weaknesses. The delegates to the convention drafted a new Constitution that created a stronger national government with separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
The Constitution also provided for a system of checks and balances to ensure that no one branch of government became too powerful.
The Constitution was ratified by the states in 1788 and went into effect in 1789. It has been in effect ever since, although it has been amended 27 times.
Here are some of the specific ways in which the Constitution was stronger than the Articles of Confederation:
- The federal government was granted the power to tax, regulate commerce, and conduct foreign policy. This gave the government the tools it needed to address national issues effectively.
- The Constitution established a bicameral legislature (the Senate and House of Representatives). This gave states with larger populations more representation in Congress.
- The Constitution provided for a system of checks and balances to ensure that no one branch of government became too powerful. This system helped to prevent tyranny and protect individual liberties.
- The Constitution could be amended with a two-thirds vote of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the states. This made it possible to change the Constitution when necessary.