Question

From 1781 to 1789, did the Articles of Confederation provide the United States with an effective government?

Accepted Answer

One could argue that from 1781 to 1789, the Articles of Confederation did not provide the United States with effective government. They may have helped America win the Revolutionary War, but they couldn't help the country win peace. Under the Articles, American government was too weak and too decentralized to meet the challenges of building a new nation.

Answer

Although the Articles of Confederation had proved themselves to be highly effective in coordinating the efforts of the states in fighting the Revolutionary War, they were totally unsuited to the challenges of building a nation once the war had been won. This was because American government under the Articles was weak and decentralized, with ultimate power residing with the individual states.
Such an arrangement was entirely deliberate, as the American colonists wanted to avoid any kind of arrangement that smacked of what they regarded as the centralized tyranny that had been imposed upon them by the British. And so America became a loose confederation of individual states without much federal government to speak of.
Once the war was over, the severe limitations of the Articles of Confederation became all too clear. For one thing, law and order could only be secured on the basis of close cooperation between the states. However, if this wasn't forthcoming, as in the case of Shay's Rebellion, then domestic disorders could easily spread from one state to the other. Without a federal government to enforce the law, things could quickly get out of hand, undermining the stability of the nation as a whole.
Another problem with the Articles was that it made it impossible for the United States to pay the enormous debts it had incurred during the Revolutionary War. Without a federal government or a central bank, it would have to rely on individual states to pay back what they owed. If such sums were not forthcoming, there was no way that the states could be compelled to pay up. So long as the new nation was unable to settle its debts and pay its way in the world, it would not be able to take its place among the international community, which would have serious political and economic consequences.

Answer

The Articles of Confederation was the first Constitution of the United States and was in operation from 1781 to 1789. It united the newly created states and provided an important foundation for the American system of governance.
However, despite the unification that the document established, the Articles of Confederation emphasized the powers of the individual states over the central powers of a federal government. In fact, the Articles of Confederation did not provide for a national office of President. It called for a unicameral legislature, meaning there was only one house of Congress. This differs from the bicameral legislature—composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives—that we have today under the Constitution.
The Constitution improved on the Articles of Confederation in many ways. It introduced the executive office of the presidency. It also established a clear separation of balanced powers, both in the bicameral legislature and in the balance of the three branches (legislative, executive, and judicial).
Nonetheless, the Articles of Confederation must be considered in context. Specifically, the founding fathers had just finished a war with Great Britain and were very suspicious of oppressive or too-powerful government. With that in mind, it is safe to say that the Articles of Confederation provided the early United States with a government that was just effective enough to pave the way for the Constitution.

Answer

As the first written constitution of the United States of America, the Articles of Confederation comprised a measure of government for the newly independent country. However, its effectiveness was limited. The states retained their sovereignty and independence, with Congress as the unifying institution of government. Congress had the power to maintain an army and navy, but it did not have the authority to force the states to contribute funding or troops. It also had the power to make treaties and alliances with foreign governments, manage Native American affairs, coin money, and establish a post office. However, Congress did not have the authority to tax the states; it could only request funds from them. For this reason, the federal treasury was continually short of the money it needed to finance government decisions, programs, and initiatives. Additionally, Congress did not have the power to regulate interstate commerce or foreign trade, which complicated the payment of debts incurred during the Revolutionary War.
These limitations of the US government under the Articles of Confederation prompted representatives from the states to come together at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787. There, they devised a more comprehensive government, with executive, legislative, and judicial branches providing a system of checks and balances for federal authority.

Answer

I would say the Articles of Confederation provided the United States with a government that was effective enough to keep the country functioning in the short term, but not one that was effective enough to last in the long term.
In the time from 1781 to 1789, it was not clear that the United States would be able to stay together.  The country was made up of thirteen different states that did not necessarily feel as if they were connected to one another.  The Articles of Confederation created a government that the various states could accept.  This kept the country together, which was very important.
In addition, the government was effective enough to take care of at least one important issue.  It was able to bring about a consensus on the issue of the Northwest Territory.  The various states were in conflict with one another as to who should control this area.  The government was effective enough to create the Northwest Ordinance, which settled the issue of the territory and allowed the states to stay together.
However, the government that the Articles created was not effective in the long term.  The Articles created a national government that was too weak to keep the country united.  The Articles allowed the various states to do things like engaging in trade wars against one another.  The Articles did not give the national government enough power to require the states to do anything, including basic things like funding a military.  Because the Articles did not do these things, they created a country that was not strong enough to last in the long term.  The Articles created a government that was effective enough in the short term, but not effective for the long term.

The Articles of Confederation

From 1781 to 1789, did the Articles of Confederation provide the United States with an effective government?

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