Just Right Govt - StudentDocs
Just Right Govt - StudentDocs
Just Right Govt - StudentDocs
A Rocky Start
On one hand, the Articles of Confederation had qualities that citizens appreciated.
Because the Articles set up a weak government, states got to keep their power
and independence. No strong, central government could tell them what to do.
However, there were problems. The Articles gave Congress the power to pass
laws about certain things—but not to enforce those laws. Congress could not
raise a military to protect the new nation. Instead, it had to ask the states to
supply soldiers. Congress also relied on the states for money because it had no
power to collect taxes. And in order to change the Articles, every single state had
to agree to the changes. These and other problems meant that, in general,
citizens felt like the relationship… er, the government, wasn't working.
Lots of Differences
With thirteen different states, there was no easy solution. Here’s why:
States had different needs. For example, some states depended on fishing,
while others mostly grew crops.
States had different sizes. Some states had many people; others had few.
People had different opinions. Some people feared a central government,
while others thought a central government was necessary.
That last one was especially troublesome. Many people feared they would lose
their freedom if a central government had too much power. Others were tired
of the weak government created under the Articles of Confederation and felt
like nothing would ever get done if nobody was in charge.
Reading p.1
Wanted: A Just Right Government Name:
Reading p.2