The Articles of Confederation established a weak central government with limited powers, leading to ineffective governance.
The U.S. Constitution strengthened the central government:
- Creating three separate branches (executive, legislative, and judicial) to ensure checks and balances on power.
- Granting Congress the power to levy taxes, regulate interstate commerce, enforce laws, and raise armies.
- Establishing the office of the President as the head of the executive branch with significant authority.
2) Representation and Checks and Balances:
- The Articles of Confederation did not clearly define how states should be represented, leading to disputes.
- The U.S. Constitution introduced a system of checks and balances, where each branch of government can limit the power of the others.
- The bicameral legislature (Senate and House of Representatives) ensured fair representation of both small and large states.
3) Amending Process:
- The Articles of Confederation required unanimous agreement from all states to amend or change the document, making it highly inflexible.
- The U.S. Constitution established a more practical amendment process, requiring only a two-thirds majority in Congress and subsequent ratification by three-quarters of the states.
4) Supremacy Clause:
- The Articles of Confederation did not have a clause that established the federal laws as supreme over state laws.
- The U.S. Constitution included the Supremacy Clause, which declared the federal government and its laws superior to any contradicting state laws, ensuring uniformity and consistency across the nation.
5) Protection of Individual Rights:
- The Articles of Confederation did not include a bill of rights to safeguard the individual liberties of citizens.
- The U.S. Constitution incorporated the Bill of Rights, guaranteeing fundamental freedoms such as freedom of speech, religion, and due process, thereby protecting citizens from overreach by the government.
6) Clear Division of Powers:
- The division of powers between the federal and state governments was ambiguous under the Articles of Confederation, causing conflicts.
- The U.S. Constitution established a clear separation of powers, delegating specific responsibilities to both federal and state governments, reducing the instances of overlapping authority.