Which document created a weak central government with no executive, no judiciary, no power to tax, and no power to regulate trade?

Which document created a weak central government with no executive, no judiciary, no power to tax, and no power to regulate trade?

• A. Articles of Confederation
• B. Bill of Rights
• C. Constitution
• D. Magna Carta

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is why the early United States set up a government that was so weak. Under the Articles of Confederation, the nation was a loose alliance of sovereign states with a single Congress. There was no executive to enforce laws and no national judiciary to interpret them, so there was no single authority to drive policy or resolve disputes. The central government could request money from the states but had no power to tax, leaving it underfunded and unable to pay debts or fund operations. It also lacked the power to regulate trade, so states could set their own tariffs and policies, creating economic frictions and a patchwork economy rather than a unified market. The framework was intentionally limiting because the founders feared central authority, and amending it required unanimous consent of all states, making real changes nearly impossible. This combination of no executive, no national courts, no power to tax, and no power to regulate trade helps explain why the Articles proved inadequate and led to drafting a new constitution that created a stronger central government with those powers. The other options don’t fit: the Bill of Rights are amendments to the Constitution, Magna Carta is a medieval English charter, and the Constitution sets up the stronger national framework described.

The main idea here is why the early United States set up a government that was so weak. Under the Articles of Confederation, the nation was a loose alliance of sovereign states with a single Congress. There was no executive to enforce laws and no national judiciary to interpret them, so there was no single authority to drive policy or resolve disputes. The central government could request money from the states but had no power to tax, leaving it underfunded and unable to pay debts or fund operations. It also lacked the power to regulate trade, so states could set their own tariffs and policies, creating economic frictions and a patchwork economy rather than a unified market. The framework was intentionally limiting because the founders feared central authority, and amending it required unanimous consent of all states, making real changes nearly impossible. This combination of no executive, no national courts, no power to tax, and no power to regulate trade helps explain why the Articles proved inadequate and led to drafting a new constitution that created a stronger central government with those powers. The other options don’t fit: the Bill of Rights are amendments to the Constitution, Magna Carta is a medieval English charter, and the Constitution sets up the stronger national framework described.