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Effectiveness Of Articles Of Confederation Essay

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Adam Delora
DBQ
"From 1781 to 1789, the Articles of Confederation provided the United States with an effective
Government". This statement is invalid on the premise that "an unregulated global economy dominated by corporations that recognize money as their only value is inherently unstable, egregiously unequal, destructive of markets, democracy, and life, and is impoverishing humanity in real terms even as it enriches a few in financial terms." 1 John Dickenson’s original drafted model of the Articles of Confederation for the young United States as a nation was modified by Congress to protect individual powers of the states. It is important to note that the question specifies from the time of the articles ratification to the point …show more content…

A government founded on the basis of independence is defined in its ability to guarantee that it maintains an arms-length relationship with private industry and the other branches of the government. On the other hand, “successful functionality is achieved when the regulator establishes clear rules that will govern such matters as its mandate and functions, its funding, and the implementation of its authorities, and then is able to execute those rules fairly and in a timely fashion.”2 The financial impedance caused by the Articles which lacked successful functionality was focused on unpaid war debts. The congress issued paper money that proved worthless because of inflation, and the states tried the same with no avail. The problem existed in the fact that the government had no power to govern in matters of funding (tax) and could only request the states donate for national needs. Evidence of this is Document A, where the Rhode Island Assembly states that the “proposed impost is repugnant to the liberty”. In other words, the Congress collecting taxes on imported goods would be against the Articles and an impedance of liberty. This is a prime example of the lack of taxing power that the government had. Document C most aptly characterizes the unpaid war debts of the government to its people. In order to pay the soldiers for their service the Congress would need to call upon states to raise money. The government was unable to provide for the people making the

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