Articles of Confederation and the Constitution - Essay Example

Articles of Confederation and the Constitution Introduction The Articles of Confederation and the Constitution provided various powers for the government and state. The Articles were established to guide the states after colonial rule. The Articles guaranteed the thirteen states immense powers. Consequently, the central government was weakened. The US Constitution was established to ensure the central government had power to dispense its duties. The government had power to make war and diplomatic deals. The Northern ordinance was manifest of the power granted to the government. The government also had the power to impose taxes upon various agencies within its jurisdiction. Initially congress had no power to implement the provision of the articles (Ginsbery, Lowi, Weir, Tolbert, and Spitzer 25). The state had no power of imposing taxes to businesses and other agencies. The articles also gave the national government the power to control commerce. This aimed to eliminate wars fought because of scramble for regulation of commerce within the nation. The powers conferred to the government especially the power of making war led to the incurring of many debts. In fact, some veterans of Pennsylvania petitioned the government o pay their dues. The government administration centre was compelled to cover the unpaid dues or vacate from the territory. According to Ginsbery, the national government was conferred some powers by the articles including the power to administrate foreign relations (23). In this regard, the government had the owner to establish treaties with foreign powers. The power accorded the government the ability to make alliances with other nations for a common good. The articles of Confederation also provided the government with the ability to make peace through any means possible. Additionally, the national government was conferred the power to maintain an army and navy for security purpose. The Coining function was created for the government. This implies that the government could institute various aspect of business development. The power granted to the government on the postal services also aimed to enhance the information communication systems within government. The management of Indian affirms was also a federal government role. The government could create admiralty courts to adjudicate justice (Ginsbery et al 77). The courts served to ensure that all appeals from junior courts were heard and satisfactorily determined. On the other hand, the powers conferred upon the states include the regulation of coinage, entering of treaties with other parties and making wars. This notwithstanding, all states were considered sovereign. Consequently, the Articles of Confederation from imposing restrictions on commerce barred all states. The articles also provided that all states have to give recognition to each state’s judicial process. The state had the power o veto the payment of soldiers. The government had the power to borrow money from credible lenders to enhance growth and development of various infrastructural projects and trade (Ginsbery et al 28). The specification of the national government and state powers enhanced the strength of the leadership of the states and national government. In this regard, the constitution played an essential role in restoration of sanity in the leadership of the thirteen states established after colonization. The government formed by the constitution was referred to as a confederation. The powers provided to the government and the states led to a quagmire in the balance of powers. Under the Articles of Confederation, the national government could regulate internal policing. This notwithstanding, the government was allowed to exercise their powers to the extent that their actions did not conflict with the provisions of the articles. The government was also guaranteed supreme authority. Although, states representative complained against possible excesses of the central government, the central government retained the supreme authority (Ginsbery et al 39). The crafters of Articles of Confederation could not specifically define the issue of supreme authority. According to Ginsbery, the mounting pressure from states compelled the leaders to review the clause and provide a comprehensive coverage of the needs of the states and central government (37). The national government had the power to raise an army. Moreover, the national government could appoint specific military leaders who they deemed fit for the positions. Sovereignty between the state and the national government had divisions. In this regard, both centers of power had sovereignty. The articles and the constitution accorded separate court systems. In this regard, there was decentralization of judicial system. According to Ginsbery et al, decentralization of judicial system led to adjudication of justice upon the people without any procrastination (66). The national government was a bicameral government with two chambers of government. In this regard, the senate constituted of two senators from each state. The other chamber constitutes of leaders from the Republican and the democrats. The national government ahs specified powers. Any unspecified power rests with the state governments. The state government could only be reviewed through consent of all the thirteen states of the United States union. The national government has power to petition the states to pay taxes. The states do not have the power to regulate interstate trade. Ginsbery asserts that the national government has a federal court system to resolve court related issues (65). The states have the power to apportion taxes as per the population statistics. Each state has a single vote. The national government deserves the right to dispose land parcels in the western part of the nation. Congress also had the power to establish different post offices. This function led to the efficient management of the information communication system in both the states and the central government. The provisions of the Articles of Confederation were almost impossible to review because of the states agitation for balance of power between the central and the state centers of power. The government had more powers than the state. The state was not comfortable with the level of power given to the government by the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution (Ginsbery et al 31). However, the American constitution later replaced the article, which ensured balance of power by the state and the national government. The power granted to the government allowed the national government to maintain the army and navy to help in defense of the nation. The states had the power to veto any legislation and review of the constitution. This ensured that any law passed was reviewed properly and adequately. Although the government had the power to levy taxes, it had no power to adjust the taxes levied upon the nationals. However, some states had the power to print money but other states had no power to print money. According to Ginsbery et al, the states were conferred the power to establish their own trade agreements (36). The autonomy guaranteed for each state enabled the states to govern their subjects efficiently. The federal government did not have the power to regulate its trade, which prompted each state to regulate its trade. The federal government has limited power to make and implement the laws. The government had no power to compel any of the thirteen states to comply with its provisions. The Canadian nation was incorporated into the postal services of the national government of the United States. The national government had the power to declare war against any perceived enemy of the government. However, war required the cooperation of all states to achieve success. The other power accorded to the national government is resolving of controversies. The creation o a continental army was a manifestation of the magnitude of power granted to the national government (Ginsbery et al 43). The power was crucial because the states could not unanimously support some security measures. However, the power was limited because of the agitation of the sates to have balance of power. The articles also provided that the central government had the leeway to seek required resources from the states. However, the central government was not obliged to contribute any resources to the states. The constitution also provided for one state one-vote rule. The rule was replicated in the central government. The Articles of Confederation and the Constitution were crucial to the operation of the state and national government. The articles and the constitution ensured that the government and the states had outlined roles. The two documents ensured that both the government and the states were successful in carrying out their various tasks. The limitation on the part of the government was that there was no executive and elaborative judicial system. The US Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation because the Articles only provided a unicameral legislature. Consequently, there was no separation of powers. Ginsbery et al asserts that the government was weak because the states were accorded more power than the central government by the Articles of Confederation (34). The government was also restricted from imposing of taxes hence the central government was financially crippled. Review of the articles was also difficult because nine states approval was required to make any adjustment. In this regard, the Articles provisions were not flexible. The central government did not have the power to regulate commerce under the Articles of the Confederation hence, the Constitution guaranteed the regulation. Conclusion The Articles of Confederation and the US Constitution were crucial documents in the history of America. The Constitution was created to resolve the excesses of the Articles of Confederation. For instance, the central government could not regulate commerce and impose tax under the Articles of Confederation but the Constitution allowed it to perform all the functions. The constitution also ensured that the government had adequate powers. Works Cited Ginsbery, Lowi, Weir, Tolbert, and Spitzer. An Introduction to American Politics. London: Hamish Hamilton, 2009. Print. Ginsbery, Lowi, Weir, Tolbert, and Spitzer. Declaration of Independence, 2009, p.18-21. Ginsbery, Lowi, Weir, Tolbert, and Spitzer. The Articles of Confederation, 2009, p.33-36. Ginsbery, Lowi, Weir, Tolbert, and Spitzer .The Constitution of the United States, 2009, p.36-60. Ginsbery, Lowi, Weir, Tolbert, and Spitzer, Federalist 10, 2009, p.61-66. Ginsbery, Lowi, Weir, Tolbert, and Spitzer, E-commerce and state taxes, 2009, p.67-84. Ginsbery, Lowi, Weir, Tolbert, and Spitzer .Introduction: The citizen and the government, 2009, P.3-10. Ginsbery, Lowi, Weir, Tolbert, and Spitzer, Digital Citizens, 2009, p.11-18. Read More