Notes

But Congress would exercise considerable powers: it was given jurisdiction over foreign relations with the authority to make treaties and alliances; it could make war and peace, maintain an army and navy, coin money, establish a postal service and manage Indian affairs; it could establish admiralty courts and it would serve as the last resort on appeal of disputes between the states. Decisions on certain specified matters–making war, entering treaties, regulating coinage, for example–required the assent of nine states in Congress, and all others required a majority.

Congress did not have the direct power to tax or to regulate interstate and foreign trade. It could only ask the states for money with no means to compel payment, and the states had the right to impose their own duties on imports, which caused havoc with commerce. Congress had no authority to raise an army on its own and had to requisition troops from the states. All major policy issues — war and peace, treaties, the appropriation of funds — required the approval of nine states. The Articles reflected the nation's concern about executive power; however, the lack of an executive meant there was no effective leadership. A unanimous vote of the states, acting through their legislatures, was necessary to amend the Articles.

America in the mid-1780’s was plagued by economic chaos that originated from the national government’s inability to manage trade. Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress had limited power to regulate trade. Congress was only able to regulate trade and commerce with Native American tribes and, even then, only if it did not impair an individual state’s ability to monitor its own trade. Congress had no ability to negotiate trade agreements with foreign countries. The central government could enact foreign treaties, but such treaties were specifically barred from policing imports and exports. States, on the other hand, could make and enforce any trade restriction they saw fit. The only power they lacked was the ability to make foreign treaties. Since the central government had so little trade power, there was very little economic coordination amongst the states. Each state had its own agenda and import and export policies differed greatly from state to state