Which statement best describes the central government under the Articles of Confederation?

• A. It had a powerful centralized executive and judiciary
• B. It required all states to contribute taxes to a strong treasury
• C. It established a weak national government with limited powers
• D. It granted the federal government authority to regulate interstate commerce

Answer: (C)

Under the Articles, the central government was deliberately weak, with only a limited set of powers granted to Congress. There was no separate executive to enforce laws and no national judiciary to interpret them. Crucially, Congress could not levy taxes or regulate commerce between the states, so it relied on voluntary appropriations from the states and lacked the means to address national fiscal needs or economic disputes. Any significant action required agreement from a large majority of states, and amending the Articles itself required unanimous consent, making real change slow or impossible. This combination of limited authority and lack of enforcement gives the central government under the Articles its defining description as weak with restricted powers.