Question

articles of confederation
read through the given scenarios. fill in the blank with which strength/weakness of the articles of confederation matches the situation.

1. a man goes to new york and tries to pay with a pennsylvania dollar, but the cashier does not take it. there needs to be a __________________ for all states.
2. france sends soldiers across the atlantic ocean and attacks boston. the federal government can sign a ________________ in response, but does not have the ability to _____________ to defend their citizens.
3. the federal government has run out of money. in order to keep operating, it can _______ to keep spending. however, it can not ___________________ once the lender asks for the money back.
4. a woman in virginia wants to send a letter to her friend in delaware. the federal government can help with the power to _______________ and deliver her letter.
5. spain invites the united states to a meeting to discuss trade and alliance. however, the u.s. does not _______________, and does not have a single leader to represent themselves to other countries.
6. congress is wanting to end a war with china and sign something to make it official, which they can do using their power to _______________.

Explanation:

1. Under the Articles of Confederation, each state had its own currency, creating a barrier to interstate commerce; a unified currency was needed.
2. The federal government under the Articles could negotiate treaties, but lacked the power to raise or command an army for defense.
3. The federal government could borrow funds to cover costs, but had no authority to tax, so it could not repay debts reliably.
4. One of the limited powers of the federal government under the Articles was establishing a post office system for interstate mail.
5. The Articles did not create a strong executive branch (like a president), so the U.S. had no single official to represent it in foreign diplomacy.
6. The federal government (Congress) under the Articles had the power to sign treaties to formalize peace agreements with other nations.

Answer:

1. uniform national currency
2. treaty; raise an army
3. borrow money; tax citizens to repay the debt
4. establish a post office
5. have a president/executive leader
6. sign a treaty