Articles Of Confederation Vs. The Constitution
Prompt 2-D
The United States has been run under two constitutions since its existence. Both The Articles of Confederation and The Constitution have similarities and differences; especially in the way they were granted by the government powers. The Articles were intended to represent a fundamental law superior to the transitory ordinary legislation; and the Constitution was an embedded principal of self-rule, in a self-limiting system of checks and balances among the three branches. Both documents lined the government powers, held the idea of union, and held the states together. America was first operated under The Articles of Confederation, and began to use the Articles as a stepping stone for the formation of the Constitution of the United States.
The Articles were ratified by Maryland and brought to effect on March 1, 1781, and lasted over seven years until they were upheld by New Hampshire on June 21, 1788. During the Articles of Confederation the legislature was unicameral, which meant it was broken into one section, congress. Congress had the power to set up a postal department, to estimate the costs of the government and request donations from the states, to raise armed forces, and to control the development of the western territories. The Articles created a weak central government and a sovereign of states; they didn’t create an executive branch and there was no federal court system. A major weakness under the Articles was the lack of power to regulate trade between the states and foreign nations.
The Constitution created a strong central government the legislature was bicameral, meaning it was broken down into two sections, the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Constitution took away powers from the states and gave it to the central government, it created an executive, judicial, and a legislative branch. The government was headed by a president, but the people still had the power to run the country through representatives....
View Full Essay