Why did the Articles of Confederation fail to provide a strong national government?

• A. It created a powerful central government with excess taxation.
• B. It centralized authority in the executive branch.
• C. It created a weak central government with no power to tax, regulate commerce, or enforce laws, and required unanimous consent to amend.
• D. It allowed states to conduct foreign policy independently.

Answer: (C)

The main point here is that the national government under the Articles of Confederation was deliberately weak, which kept the entire system from functioning like a true national government. It had no power to tax, so there was no reliable revenue to run national programs or pay debts. It also couldn’t regulate commerce between states or with other countries, leading to economic conflict and a lack of a unified economic policy. Enforcement of laws was weak too, since there was no strong executive branch or national judiciary to ensure obedience or resolve disputes.

Another crucial flaw was that amending the Articles required the consent of all thirteen states. That meant any single state could block changes, preventing the government from adapting to new problems or strengthening its powers. With these limits in place, the national government couldn’t respond effectively to internal or external challenges, and that is why the Articles ultimately failed.

The other descriptions don’t fit because they imply a stronger central structure or higher powers (which the Articles did not have), or misunderstand the balance of authority (for example, the central government wasn’t characterized by an expansion of executive power). While states did handle some foreign policy matters on their own, the core issue was the central government’s lack of authority across key areas.