The Articles of Confederation were weak primarily due to their design that placed most power with the individual states rather than with a strong central government. Key reasons for their weakness include:
- Lack of power to tax: The national government could not impose taxes and had to rely on voluntary financial contributions from the states, leading to chronic revenue shortages and inability to fund government functions or pay debts.
- No uniform currency: Both Congress and the states could print money, causing economic disorganization and trade difficulties.
- Lack of central leadership: There was no independent judiciary to enforce laws or resolve disputes, and no executive branch or president to lead foreign policy or represent the nation diplomatically.
- Legislative inefficiencies: Each state had one vote regardless of population, laws required approval by nine of thirteen states, and amendments needed unanimous consent, making lawmaking and reforms extremely difficult.
- Inability to enforce laws: States could ignore national laws and Congress had no power to compel compliance.
- Weak foreign policy: The government struggled to negotiate and enforce treaties, regulate commerce, or protect American interests abroad, partly because states conducted their own foreign policies and the central government lacked coercive power.
- Military weakness: The Confederation could not maintain an effective military or navy due to lack of funds and authority.
These structural flaws created an unstable and ineffective national government, leading to economic problems, diplomatic weaknesses, and internal disunity, eventually prompting the replacement of the Articles of Confederation by the U.S. Constitution.