Question

question 9

which of these was a problem of the government under the articles of confederation?

• the state governments did not have the power to tax their citizens.
• the national government had too much power over the states.
• the national government could not pay for the expenses of the continental army.
• congress could not form treaties with foreign countries.

Explanation:

Identify the core historical issue

The question asks for a major problem of the government under the Articles of Confederation, which was the first constitution of the United States. Under this system, the national government was intentionally kept weak to prevent tyranny, which led to several structural and financial crises.

Evaluate the first option

Option 1: "The state governments did not have the power to tax their citizens."
This is historically incorrect. State governments retained almost all of their sovereign powers under the Articles, including the power to levy taxes on their own citizens.

Evaluate the second option

Option 2: "The national government had too much power over the states."
This is incorrect. The primary weakness of the Articles of Confederation was that the national government was far too weak, lacking an executive branch, a national court system, and the power to enforce its laws on the states.

Evaluate the third option

Option 3: "The national government could not pay for the expenses of the Continental Army."
This is correct. Under the Articles of Confederation, the national Congress did not have the power to levy taxes directly. It could only request funds from the states, which often ignored these requests. Consequently, the national government was deeply in debt and unable to reliably pay the soldiers of the Continental Army or cover other national expenses.

Evaluate the fourth option

Option 4: "Congress could not form treaties with foreign countries."
This is incorrect. Congress did have the power to declare war and sign treaties (such as the Treaty of Paris in 1783), although it struggled to enforce those treaties because it could not compel the states to comply with them.

Answer:

• (A) The state governments did not have the power to tax their citizens.
• (B) The national government had too much power over the states.
• (C) The national government could not pay for the expenses of the Continental Army. (Correct answer)
• (D) Congress could not form treaties with foreign countries.