What were the Articles of Confederation?

• A. The first constitution of the United States
• B. The first governing document of the United States, establishing a weak central government
• C. A series of amendments to the Constitution
• D. A declaration of war against Britain

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that the Articles of Confederation served as the United States’ first governing plan, creating a loose union of states with a weak central government. Under this framework, the national government could handle foreign affairs, wage war, and coin money, but it had no executive to enforce laws and no national court system to settle disputes. It could not levy taxes or regulate trade, so it depended on states to fund its operations and follow its policies. Any major changes required the agreement of all states, making real change nearly impossible. This structure reflected the founders’ fear of central authority, but it proved ineffective for running the new nation, which is why it was eventually replaced by the Constitution. It isn’t the first constitution (that’s the later Constitution), and it isn’t a set of amendments or a declaration of war on its own.