Question

the authors of the articles of confederation established a decentralized political system mainly to:
prevent the abuses of power that had existed under british rule
prevent states from collected debt during the revolutionary war
promote the common goal of a representative government
promote expansion into western territories

Explanation:

The Articles of Confederation were created after the American Revolution. The colonists had experienced tyranny under British rule (such as excessive taxation and lack of representation). A decentralized system (where states had more power than the central government) was seen as a safeguard. It was a reaction to the fear of a strong, potentially abusive central authority (like the British monarchy). The other options are incorrect: the Articles didn't focus on preventing states from collecting debt (in fact, states had significant economic powers), promoting representative government was more about how government was structured (not the main reason for decentralization), and western expansion was not the core motivation for the decentralized political system in the Articles.

Answer:

Prevent the abuses of power that had existed under British rule