Which of the following statements would describe one strength of the Articles of Confederation?
The Confederation Congress could pass taxes.
The federal court system handled all judicial matters.
Any law passed by the Confederation Congress would override state laws.
The lack of an executive branch minimized the abuse of power.
The lack of an executive branch minimized the abuse of power.
The statement that describes one strength of the Articles of Confederation is:
- The lack of an executive branch minimized the abuse of power.
The strength of the Articles of Confederation can be determined by evaluating each statement and understanding the context of the Articles.
The Confederation Congress could pass taxes: This statement does not accurately describe a strength of the Articles of Confederation. Under the Articles, the Confederation Congress did not have the power to directly levy taxes. Instead, it had to rely on requesting funds from the states, which often resulted in financial difficulties for the national government.
The federal court system handled all judicial matters: This statement is incorrect. The Articles of Confederation did not establish a federal court system to handle judicial matters. Instead, each state was responsible for its own judicial system, which led to inconsistencies and difficulties in enforcing interstate laws.
Any law passed by the Confederation Congress would override state laws: This statement is incorrect. Under the Articles of Confederation, state laws were not overridden by laws passed by the Confederation Congress. Each state retained a high degree of sovereignty and had the power to enforce its own laws, leading to challenges in achieving uniformity and consistency across the nation.
The lack of an executive branch minimized the abuse of power: This statement accurately describes one strength of the Articles of Confederation. The Articles intentionally did not establish a strong executive branch or provide for a central executive authority. This design was intended to prevent the concentration of power and potential abuses that could occur with a strong executive. However, this also resulted in challenges regarding effective leadership and decision-making for the national government, as there was no single executive to enforce laws or coordinate policies.