Question

under the articles of confederation, why didnt the national government enforce the laws?
the states had the power to enforce the national laws.
the executive branch was ineffective in enforcing the laws.
the national police force had no power to enforce the laws.
the president was just a figurehead and could not enforce laws.

Explanation:

Under the Articles of Confederation, the national government had very limited powers. The states were the ones with significant authority, including the power to enforce national laws. The Articles created a weak central government. There was no strong executive branch (no real president with enforcement powers as in later systems). There was no national police force. The key point is that the structure of the Articles gave states the power to enforce national laws, not a strong national government entity.

Answer:

The states had the power to enforce the national laws.