1. Limited Central Authority: The Articles of Confederation established a weak central government with limited powers. Each state retained its sovereignty and independence, making it difficult for the central government to enforce laws and regulations across the entire country.
2. No Executive Branch: Unlike the current U.S. government, the Articles of Confederation did not create an executive branch to lead the country. Instead, a committee of delegates from each state held executive power, which made decision-making slow and inefficient.
3. Lack of Taxation Authority: The central government under the Articles of Confederation lacked the authority to levy taxes directly on citizens. Instead, it relied on voluntary contributions from the states, which often resulted in insufficient funding for essential government functions. This limited the central government's ability to raise revenue and address national issues.
4. Unanimous Voting Requirement: Important decisions, such as declaring war, required unanimous approval from all states. This made it challenging to build consensus and take decisive action, as even a single state's opposition could block progress.
5. Trade Regulations: The Articles of Confederation did not provide a consistent system of trade regulations, leading to conflicts between states over tariffs and trade barriers. This hindered the development of a national economy and contributed to economic instability.
The challenges to state sovereignty under the Articles of Confederation ultimately led to the need for a stronger federal government, which was established with the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1789.