Effectiveness of Articles of Confederation

Adam Delora

DBQ

“From 1781 to 1789, the Articles of Confederation provided the United States with an effective

Government”. This statement is invalid on the premise that “an unregulated global economy dominated by corporations that recognize money as their only value is inherently unstable, egregiously unequal, destructive of markets, democracy, and life, and is impoverishing humanity in real terms even as it enriches a few in financial terms.” 1 John Dickenson’s original drafted model of the Articles of Confederation for the young United States as a nation was modified by Congress to protect individual powers of the states. It is important to note that the question specifies from the time of the articles ratification to the point where the first session of Congress took place under the Constitution. The Articles made a central government consisting of a unicameral legislature where each state was given a vote, with nine votes out of thirteen necessary to pass laws that were considered important; whereas a Committee of States, with one representative from each state could make minor decisions when the full Congress was not in session. An amendment of the articles required a unanimous vote. The most important powers of the government under the articles included the power to wage war, make treaties, send diplomatic representatives, and borrow money. The government lacked the power to regulate commerce, or to collect taxes, and this forced the congress to rely on the taxes which were voted by each state. The congress also did not have the power to enforce its laws. The lack of these fundamental powers rendered the government ineffective. The people involved in the crafting of the Articles as weak did so. The government put forth, caused three fundamental problems that caused it to be ineffective which were financial, foreign, and domestic.

A government founded on the basis of independence is defined in its ability to guarantee that it maintains an arms-length relationship with private industry and the other branches of the government. On the other hand, “successful functionality is achieved when the regulator establishes clear rules that will govern such matters as its mandate and functions, its funding, and the implementation of its authorities, and then is able to execute those rules fairly and in a timely fashion.”2 The financial impedance caused by the Articles which lacked successful functionality was focused on unpaid war debts. The congress issued paper money that proved worthless because of inflation, and the states tried the same with no avail. The problem existed in the fact that the government had no power to govern in matters of funding (tax) and could only request the states donate for national needs. Evidence of this is Document A, where the Rhode Island Assembly states that the “proposed impost is repugnant to the liberty”. In other words, the Congress collecting taxes on imported goods would be against the Articles and an impedance of liberty. This is a prime example of the lack of taxing power that the government had. Document C most aptly characterizes the unpaid war debts of the government to its people. In order to pay the soldiers for their service the Congress would need to call upon states to raise money. The government was unable to provide for the people making the government dubbed ineffective. In Document D John Jay makes Instructions to the United States Minister to Great Britain in which he tried to create a treaty with Great Britain that would hurt the merchants but would pay off the war debt by putting posts and territories into American hands and show the British Ministry how the restrictions hurt the merchants in order that they make remittances. They would be represented with losses which both will sustain as a result as they are immoderately pressed for debts. One of the reasons for inflation was the lack of the ability of the people to pay back debts. Hamilton’s plan for the United States where there was a strong central government under the Constitution was able to fix this. Concerning government debt, the leaders agreed that they had to pay war debt at face value and assume payment of war debts. Congress passed excise taxes and made tariffs. The national bank was owned by private shareholders, one of the major shareholders being the federal government, could print deposits and paper money to stimulate business. Government is able to work more effectively if it is able to govern its mandate and functions, its funding, and other matters. The democracy that is in the form of a central government that is able to tax, and pass laws, being able to enforce them is proven effective while the articles with the weak central government is not. The economy needs to be regulated for stability. A good example