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Articles Of Confederation

Articles of Confederation

“From 1781 to 1789 the Articles of Confederation provided the United States with an effective government.” When evaluated this statement is not in agreement with the documents and information. I disagree with this statement for many reasons. Three problems with the Articles of Confederation were tax issues, votes in congress, and the powers that the central government was given.
Tax issues played a major part in the fall of the Articles of Confederation. All the Articles of Confederation says about taxes is that the states shall pay them to the central government according to real property value. Depending on state to state this would change greatly. One state’s property value may be way higher than another causing them to pay higher taxes to the central government. Also, taxes shouldn’t have just been left up to the states to collect and then give to the central government. The central government needed to help regulate the taxes that the states were enacting upon their citizens. Both tax issues played a major role in the change of the Articles of Confederation.
The members in congress was a small number. Each state only received one representative in congress. This wasn’t a major problem but it was changed in the constitution and resolved many things. Each state only receiving one representative caused only thirteen members to be in congress. More people were needed in congress to influence and change laws and help the greater United States of America. The constitution solved this by giving each state more votes and more of a voice that they needed. This voice was important in what the states needed to say.
Central government was very different under the Articles of Confederation than it was after the constitution. Under the Articles of Confederation the central government was very weak. “...and solemnly called on the house to consider whether it would not be better to add strength to the old...