Differences Between The Articles Of Confederation And The Constitution

After the Americans won the Revolutionary War, they had to make a choice about how to run their new country. A set of laws, deemed the Articles of Confederation, was put into place. While this draft ensured primary concerns, such as the notion of majority rule and the protection of individual rights, there was still work left to guarantee a strong nation. In the 1780s, men from across the nation set out to create a new document that would support additional needs, titled the Constitution. The Constitution was a radical departure from the Articles of Confederation because it included a bicameral legislature, a stronger central government, and the formation of the checks-and-balances system. The Constitution’s new legislature significantly contrasted the …show more content…
The Articles of Confederation gave extremely little power to the central government. For example, the central government could not tax, conduct foreign affairs, recruit an army, or create a national currency. These tasks are critical to forming a unified nation, and the makers of the Constitution wanted to assure that the central government would attain these rights while still giving the states some control. Federal powers granted to the central government included the right to declare war, coin money, and admit new states. The states’ powers included the right to determine marriage laws, hold local elections, and maintain schooling. In addition, concurrent powers, rights granted to both the states and the central government included the right to have courts and borrow money. Finally, the Constitution added a Supremacy Clause, which ensured that the Constitution were above any state-mandated laws. While the Articles of Confederation ensured the power of the states over the central government, the Constitution certified that the central government was the highest