Post on 24-May-2022
A Better Way Articles too weak Why the Articles of Confederation failed
Summis:
Why the Federalist could win enough support
The Articles of Confederations were too weak for the
collective needs of our States. Under the Articles, there
was a weak central government that could not do
much. Congress could not tax or regulate commerce
among the States. There was no common currency.
Each State had only one vote, regardless of State size
and population. Under the Articles, there was no
executive and judicial branch. All these reasons
combined stymied commerce and economic growth. In
addition, the Articles did not allow for a strong
national defense against invasion, and often, Congress
was inefficient.
The Federalists might be on to something good. The Federalists seek support for a new system of government; a system of checks and balances and stronger central government, while still keeping the power in the peoples’ and states’ hands. The federalist essays, while the authors remain anonymous, provide examples of why a new Constitution might be beneficial to the States.
June 15, 1788 Friday
2
For one, under the Articles, we have no executive and
no judiciary. As stated in the Federalist #78, the power
of sword (executive) and purse (legislative) can only be
truly balanced once the judiciary comes into existence.
The judiciary can deem acts of the executive or
legislative branch “void” (judicial review) when they are
not acting in accordance to the Constitution.
The Articles were doomed from the started because the
government did not have the power to tax; but also, the
central government was not strong enough. Look at
Shay’s Rebellion, it shows that a strong government is
needed to stop events like this. I agree with the writers
of the Federalist Papers, that the nature of man will
always cause problems, whether it is due to greed or
selfishness.
There are classical liberal concerns and classical
republican concerns. Each ends of the spectrum either
results in anarchy or a police state. The new
Constitution appears like it will balance these two
concerns, to promote the common good, while always
putting individual rights in the forefront of importance.
These are just a few benefits that will come from
ratifying the new, upcoming Constitution.
Interesting facts from today:
- A pound of coffee is 40-80 cents, depending on the coffee beans - A fast, healthy horse on a good road can travel roughly 50 miles in one day - A wagon or coach can cover roughly 12-20 miles in one day.