Preview

Decentralized Government

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
686 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Decentralized Government
During the latter part of the American Enlightenment Age, the United States began to shape its political standing as a nation. After the American Revolution, had been fought to gain independence from Great Britain, leaders such as Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, to name a few, deemed it necessary construct and instill a government that would protect the individual rights of American citizens while avoiding a tyrannical government from taking charge of the nation. The first attempt of government, lead to a decentralized government brought in place by the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation called for states being sovereign and independent because of the fear of a central government. The issue the opposition …show more content…
When righting, The Federalist Papers the authors included topics such as: liberty, faction, separation of power, and the electoral system and pluralism. The Federalist Papers wanted to ensure and protect the individual liberty of American citizens. Rivals to the new arrangement scrutinize it most on it making a solid focal government that will be damaging to individual freedom. Regardless, a vivacious government is critical to the insurance of individual freedom. The arrangement of government under the Articles of Confederation was not able successfully ensure singular freedoms since it didn't act straightforwardly upon the general population, and had no expert to authorize its laws. One of the most concerning issues coming about because of the Articles of Confederation was that there was no way to uphold solidarity among the states. The way the confederation was set up, each state acted as its own sovereign power allowing each state to enforce their own set of rules and regulations. This prompted to rivalry between the states over land, trade, and reimbursement of open obligation. After some time, this would normally prompt to further
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    "From 1781 to 1789 the Articles of Confederation provided the United States with an effective government. Using the documents and your knowledge of the period, evaluate this statement."
    • 945 Words
    • 4 Pages

    "From 1781 to 1789 the Articles of Confederation provided the United States with an effective government. Using the documents and your knowledge of the period, evaluate this statement."

    The people of early America had many faults and strengths after becoming free from England. They wanted to create a government different from England’s so the Americans could have more rights. To do this, the articles of confederation had no executive branch, congress didn’t have the power to tax directly which made it hard to support their own country, to change a law, it had to be unanimous and to pass a law 2/3 of the colonies had to agree which made it practically impossible to change or make laws and overall the country was just unbalanced. The first official form of government of America, The Articles of Confederation, was one of the disputable topics whether or not it was a good form of government. Evidence that proved the articles was an effective form of government was the spreading of land westward. On the other hand, there were many more ineffective ways the articles didn’t work, like Americas affairs with foreign countries like England and Spain and its economy.…

    • 945 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    DBQ #3: The Articles of Confederation
    • 2437 Words
    • 6 Pages

    DBQ #3: The Articles of Confederation

    Regarding structure, the Articles of Confederation, or simply Articles, were relatively ‘bare-bones’ when compared to the complex constitutions and declarations of government other countries had. It laid out a simple and ultimately primitive government: the power of the government was to lie solely in Congress, a group of delegates from all states. It was to be Congress and only Congress to create laws and run most of the government. This concept did not work well in practice: Congress, the only branch of the government, was weak and unable to bring about policy change for the country. First, all amendments to the Articles required a unanimous vote of all thirteen states - something that was quite rare - and even the simplest of national laws required a two-thirds majority to be established. This became a major issue. As a new country, a lot of issues were going to come forth to Congress, and due to the bureaucratic rules that were in place, it was difficult for a treaty or policy to be approved. Furthermore, the Articles did…

    • 2437 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    What Are The Flaws Of The Articles Of Confederation Dbq
    • 193 Words
    • 1 Page

    What Are The Flaws Of The Articles Of Confederation Dbq

    The Articles of Confederation had many flaws within it; it made the States more independent but the federal government have very limited control. They weren't allowed to make trade treaties, or allowed to tax which resulted in them not being able to pay their debts. The Constitution was made to tighten up the Articles and set a standard within the States. “ All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives.” (A-3) This is what caused a change, and tightened up the government. The government had 3 branches now, each with its own responsibilities and neither was more powerful than the other. The legislative had the power to create a new currency…

    • 193 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Dbq Articles Of Confederation Ineffective
    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Dbq Articles Of Confederation Ineffective

    Between 1781 and 1789, the Articles of Confederation provided the United States with an ineffective government, Although there were flaws, strong steps were taken in the attempt to try and make the United States a better country. The Articles set up a government that gave individual states the power to make their own laws and enforce them. This was ineffective for the following reasons: 1) The Continental Congress controlled public affairs but there was nothing in the Articles that gave Congress the power to enforce laws or unify the states. 2) There was no solid system of money to ensure that taxes would be paid or protect commerce, both nationally and with foreign trade. 3) The country lacked unity and strength because there was no leadership.…

    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    “from 1781 to 1789 the Articles of Confederation Provided the United States with an Effective Government." Essay Example
    • 405 Words
    • 2 Pages

    “from 1781 to 1789 the Articles of Confederation Provided the United States with an Effective Government." Essay Example

    “From 1781 to 1789 the Articles of Confederation provided the United States with an effective government." During those years the United States government was still developing and the Articles of Confederation was not an effective form of government. The states had a strong objection against the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation was not a government well suited for this new country. The United States needed power over the states to make it a better place to live and have separate states with different laws.…

    • 405 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    U.S Constitution DBQ
    • 1101 Words
    • 5 Pages

    U.S Constitution DBQ

    The writing of the U.S Constitution generated many concerns over the amount of power to be allowed in the Federal Government. Political parties of Federalists and Antifederalists formed, sparking debate over the issue. As Federalists supported the proposed U.S Constitution, Antifederalists supported the government formed under the Articles of Confederation. Federalists felt that a strong central government would give protection to public and private credit. Many large landowners, judges, lawyers, leading clergymen, political figures, and merchants were in favor of ratifying the U.S Constitution. James Madison writes in Federalist Papers #10, “Complaints are everywhere heard from our most considerate and virtuous citizens, equally the friends of public and private faith and public of personal liberty, that our governments are too unstable” (Doc. A). Congressmen such as Madison strongly supported a stronger Federal Government. The existing government under the Articles of Confederation needed to be altered to ensure more control over the states. Federalists believed that if change wasn’t made the nation would fail. “Either the…

    • 1101 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    What Is The Primary Purpose Of The Articles Of Confederation Dbq
    • 196 Words
    • 1 Page

    What Is The Primary Purpose Of The Articles Of Confederation Dbq

    When the United States of America won its Independence from Great Britain in 1776 many Americans began to have fidelity to their states instead of their country. Diverse citizens opposed to have an influential government. As a result, to the independent views of Americans the document Articles of Confederation was proposed. It was established with the primary purpose to balance the differences between states. Over time, this document became inadequate to govern itself and protect…

    • 196 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Discuss The Problems Under The Articles Of Confederation
    • 203 Words
    • 1 Page

    Discuss The Problems Under The Articles Of Confederation

    There were numerous of problems under the “Articles of Confederation”. Several of the main problems were its incapacity of increasing funds, the necessity of completing consent to accomplish modifications , the “lack of authority over internal trade , foreign relations, and debt.” The central problem was that the states turned down the idea of giving the national government sufficient power to function properly. The articles gave each single state “independence”, but gave the “federal government” very little power. Congress had a hard time ratifying laws for the reason being that “ 9 out of 13 states” had to concede with passing them before any of them could fully go through .Congress did not have the authority to accumulate taxes required…

    • 203 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Explain The Problems With The Framers Of The Constitution
    • 546 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Explain The Problems With The Framers Of The Constitution

    The federalists wanted more power to the president.”Document 1 states”, “I would propose next that in addition to the present federal powers, the national government should be armed with positive and complete authority in all cases which require uniformity”. The writer of the document believes in federal powers because he wants more power to the government not the states. The anit-federalists do not want the government to have power because. “Document 2 states”,”After such a declaration, what security does the constitution of the several states afford the liberty of the press and other invaluable personal rights, not provided for by the new…

    • 546 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Pros And Cons Of The Articles Of Confederation
    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Pros And Cons Of The Articles Of Confederation

    The government was set up under the Articles of Confederation, America’s first constitution. The founders were so afraid of a strong central government that they gave all power to the states, rather than set up an over-seeing national government. The Revolution was fought to get away from an overbearing and unfair ruler, so it is understandable why they wouldn’t want another monarchy to take over. The problem was that the Articles of Confederation gave little to no power at all to their national government, causing distress and non-compliance between the states. The Articles of Confederation denied the government the ability to take care of the states and the union. An influential philosopher at the time, Hobbes, believes that it is the sole purpose of the national government to enforce peace and laws; thus making life, liberty, and the pursuit of property possible. Another influential philosopher at the time, Locke, also believes that a central government is necessary to promote public good, to protect property and promote…

    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Postive Effects of Articles of Confederation
    • 1485 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Postive Effects of Articles of Confederation

    The United States of America had just recently gained independence from the British Empire and was now looking for a new form of government to help support their want for a new and fairer life. The Articles of Confederation provided the thirteen colonies with a new basic government and had many policies that also included items such as foreign policy and economics. They decided to create a new set of laws that congress would follow that would limit their power so they would not repeat the same events they had already experienced with Britain, this new set of laws was called, The Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation have very valid and strong points in what they say and accomplish the task of offering a more fair lifestyle to the American people. The articles limited the government’s power and gave the people a chance to have a life free from tyranny like that one they experienced under the reign of the king of England.…

    • 1485 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Role Of Federalism In Shay's Rebellion
    • 262 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Role Of Federalism In Shay's Rebellion

    They included republicanism, federalism, separation of powers and checks and balances. By having these things, it gave the national government more control over the states than it had before and it would allow the national government to handle problems more efficiently without anymore unnecessary rebellions. One of the key points in the constitution is federalism. Federalism is the division of power between a central government and its regional units. Normally there are two representations of federalism: dual federalism and cooperative federalism. Dual federalism gave more power to the states and says that the powers of the national government should be interpreted…

    • 262 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Compare And Contrast Federalist And Anti Federalists
    • 591 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Compare And Contrast Federalist And Anti Federalists

    On the heels of the revolutionary war and the failed attempt of a national government (The Articles of Confederation), the leaders of the United States set to make a stronger, centralized government, with dual sovereignty between the national government and the states. The rules of this governing body would be laid out in a document called the Constitution. Although most leaders supported the constitution they did not agree on many aspects of it. Out of the disagreement two groups emerged, the Federalist and the Anti-Federalist. The Federalist supported all aspects of the constitution and a larger national government, while the Anti-Federalist opposed ratifying the constitution and supported a smaller national government and more sovereignty to the states. This disagreement led to a fierce debate between the two groups that still resonates today. This essay will examine the primary…

    • 591 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Did The American Revolution Influence The Idea Of Republicanism
    • 836 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Did The American Revolution Influence The Idea Of Republicanism

    Many antifederalists did not want the government to have so much control over America. Amending the articles would require the confirmation of every state legislature. Unlike the king of Britain, the antifederalists were against one person ruling America and so they refused to appoint one single president under the Articles of Confederation. This created a weakness in the government. Under the Articles, the individual states would be represented by one to seven delegates with each state holding only one vote in Congress. The Articles gave the individual states more power than the federal government. When Congress needed money, it would have to ask the individual states to contribute money to the federal government. This complicated the government and made it extremely inefficient. Additionally, all of the judicial power would be given to the states. Regulation of commerce would be regulated by treaties that would hold no check on conflicting state regulations. The Articles of Confederation essentially gave much more power and control to individual states than to the federal…

    • 836 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Why The Constitution Is Not A Simple Document
    • 542 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Why The Constitution Is Not A Simple Document

    A great amount of people did not wish to make a solid national government far from their homes far from their homes, over which they felt they would have next to zero control - they had quite recently battled a long and intense war to free themselves from such an administration. Pioneers composed the new American government as indicated by a record known as the Articles of Confederation. The Articles gave every expression of freedom and spoke to minimal more than a group of companionship between them. The primary reason for the Articles was to build up a framework by which the states could co-work in the event that they expected to protect themselves against their…

    • 542 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics