Why was the Confederation Congress unable to resolve problems with Britain and Spain?

• A. It had no power to declare war
• B. It had an overly powerful executive
• C. It could not regulate trade
• D. It lacked an executive branch and the power to regulate trade

Answer: (D)

The main issue is the weak central government created by the Articles of Confederation: there was no executive branch and no power to regulate trade. Without an executive, there wasn’t a single person to negotiate, present, or enforce treaties, so foreign powers like Britain and Spain could stall or ignore agreements without a clear national response. At the same time, Congress couldn’t regulate commerce, so the young nation lacked a unified economic policy or leverage to pressure Britain and Spain or to fund enforcement actions. This combination made it nearly impossible to implement treaties or coordinate a coherent foreign-policy approach, leaving problems with Britain and Spain unresolved until a stronger national framework existed.