The Messy Articles of Confederation | Power and Politics in US Government 4 of 30 | Study Hall

Summary

This video script from Study Hall explores the Articles of Confederation, the first U.S. government framework, and its shortcomings that led to the creation of the Constitution. It discusses the challenges faced under the Articles, such as Shays’ Rebellion and the inability to impose taxes or enforce laws uniformly. The script contrasts the weak national government of the Articles with the more empowered federal structure established by the Constitution, highlighting the ongoing balance between state and federal powers in the U.S. today.

Takeaways

• 📚 Study Hall offers college credits through online courses, accessible via gostudyhall.com.
• 🔄 Aaliyah's quote about perseverance is likened to the Founders' approach to government formation after initial failures.
• 🏛 The Articles of Confederation were the first attempt to unify the thirteen states but proved inadequate in handling national crises.
• 🚫 High taxes and economic hardship led to protests like Shays’ Rebellion, highlighting the national government's inability to enforce order.
• 🛑 The Articles created a weak national government with no real executive or judicial system, limiting its power to address state issues.
• 🗳️ Each state had one vote under the Articles, leading to disproportionate representation and difficulty in amending the document.
• 💵 The national government couldn't impose taxes, leading to financial instability and challenges in repaying war debts.
• 🛃 Trade barriers and currency inconsistencies between states were not effectively managed under the Articles.
• 🛡️ The national government's lack of authority over state militias made it incapable of maintaining national defense.
• 🏛️ In response to the Articles' failures, the Constitutional Convention produced a new framework with a stronger national government.
• 📜 The Constitution provided more powers to the federal government, including taxation, trade regulation, and the establishment of a national currency.
• 🏙️ The balance of power between state and federal governments remains a complex issue, as illustrated by cases like California's Proposition 12.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the Articles of Confederation?

The Articles of Confederation were the first attempt by the Founders to unify the original thirteen states by creating a weak national government that ensured states retained most of the power, avoiding a strong centralized government similar to a monarchy.

Why did the Founders choose to create a weak national government under the Articles of Confederation?

The Founders were wary of a strong centralized government, fearing it would lead to tyranny similar to the monarchy they had just escaped. To avoid this, they intentionally created a weak national government with limited powers.

What were some of the main structural issues with the Articles of Confederation?

The Articles had several structural flaws, including equal representation for all states regardless of size, requiring unanimous consent for amendments, and the absence of a strong executive or a permanent national judicial system. These flaws severely limited the national government's effectiveness.

How did the Articles of Confederation handle the issue of taxation?

Under the Articles, the national government did not have the power to impose taxes. Instead, it had to request money from the states, which often ignored these requests, leading to an underfunded national government that struggled to pay debts and manage finances.

What was Shays’ Rebellion, and why is it significant in the context of the Articles of Confederation?

Shays’ Rebellion was an armed uprising by ex-soldiers turned farmers in Massachusetts protesting high taxes and economic hardships. The rebellion highlighted the weaknesses of the national government under the Articles, as it was powerless to address the crisis, leading many to call for a stronger federal government.

How did the Articles of Confederation impact interstate trade?

The Articles allowed states to impose their own trade barriers, including tariffs, between each other. This lack of a unified national trade policy created significant obstacles to interstate commerce, further weakening the national economy.

What collective dilemmas did the national government face under the Articles of Confederation?

The national government under the Articles struggled with collective dilemmas, such as managing interstate trade, dealing with war efforts, and addressing financial issues, due to its limited powers and the states' prioritization of their own short-term interests.

How did the Founders address the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation in the Constitution?

The Constitution addressed the weaknesses of the Articles by creating a stronger national government with powers to tax, regulate trade, raise an army, and enforce laws. It also established a bicameral legislature, an executive branch led by a president, and a national judicial system.

What role does the Supreme Court play in the balance of power between state and national governments?

The Supreme Court interprets the Constitution and has the power to rule on cases that involve the balance of power between state and national governments. Its rulings can only be overturned by new legislation or a change in the Constitution.

What is the Dormant Commerce Clause, and how does it relate to state regulations on trade?

The Dormant Commerce Clause restricts states from passing laws that unduly burden interstate commerce. It is relevant in cases where state regulations, like California's Proposition 12, affect trade across state lines, balancing state authority with national economic interests.

Outlines

00:00

🏛️ The Failure of the Articles of Confederation

This paragraph introduces the challenges faced by the early United States under the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first attempt at a unified government. It highlights the economic and social unrest, such as Shays' Rebellion, caused by high taxes and the inability of the national government to address grievances effectively. The paragraph also emphasizes the structural weaknesses of the Articles, including equal representation for all states regardless of size, the requirement for unanimous consent for amendments, and the lack of a strong executive and judicial system. These issues led to a government that was unable to enforce laws, collect taxes, or maintain a standing army, ultimately resulting in a push for a new form of governance.

05:02

🛠️ Crafting the U.S. Constitution

The second paragraph delves into the process of creating the U.S. Constitution as a response to the failures of the Articles of Confederation. It describes the convening of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, led by figures like George Washington and James Madison. Despite being tasked with amending the Articles, the convention resulted in an entirely new document that aimed to address the power imbalances and inefficiencies of the previous government structure. The new Constitution established a stronger national government with the ability to levy taxes, regulate commerce, and maintain a military, while also creating a bicameral legislature and an executive branch to balance power and prevent the concentration of authority.

10:04

🌐 The Complexities of Federal and State Power

The final paragraph examines the ongoing complexities of the relationship between federal and state powers in the United States. It uses the example of a Supreme Court case involving California's Proposition 12 to illustrate how state regulations can impact interstate commerce and the national economy. The case highlights the Dormant Commerce Clause and the balance between state autonomy and federal oversight. The paragraph concludes by reflecting on the necessity of a federal government to handle collective dilemmas like trade and defense, contrasting the Articles of Confederation's inadequacies with the more effective governance provided by the U.S. Constitution.

Keywords

💡Study Hall

Study Hall is an educational platform offering courses that can earn college credits. It is mentioned in the transcript as a resource for those interested in learning more about the topic discussed in the video. The video script encourages viewers to visit gostudyhall.com for more information, indicating its relevance to the educational theme of the video.

💡Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation were the first written constitution of the United States, which came into effect in 1781. The video discusses how these Articles were a failure in providing a strong national government, leading to issues like Shays’ Rebellion. The script uses the Articles as a central concept to explore the early struggles of the U.S. government and the need for a new constitution.

💡Shays’ Rebellion

Shays’ Rebellion was an armed uprising in Massachusetts in 1786-1787, led by ex-soldiers turned farmers protesting high taxes. The video script describes this event as a catalyst for the recognition of the need for a new government, highlighting the failure of the Articles of Confederation to maintain order and handle collective dilemmas.

💡Collective Dilemmas

Collective dilemmas refer to situations that require cooperation among individuals or states but are hindered by short-term self-interest. In the video, trade, debt repayment, currency standardization, and war are mentioned as collective dilemmas that the Articles of Confederation failed to address effectively, leading to the need for a stronger federal government.

💡Continental Congress

The Continental Congress was the governing body that led the American Revolution and was responsible for drafting the Articles of Confederation. The video script mentions this group of Founders to illustrate the context in which the first U.S. government framework was created, emphasizing their wariness of a strong centralized government.

💡Bicameral Legislature

A bicameral legislature is a legislative body divided into two separate assemblies, chambers, or houses. The video explains that the U.S. Constitution established a bicameral legislature consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate to balance power and create checks and balances, contrasting with the weaker structure under the Articles of Confederation.

💡Constitution

The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States, adopted in 1787 as a replacement for the Articles of Confederation. The video script describes the Constitution as a document that granted more authority to the national government and established a more effective system of governance, including the creation of the executive and judicial branches.

💡Checks and Balances

Checks and balances is a system of distributing power among different branches of government to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful. The video script explains that the Constitution established this system to address concerns about a potentially overbearing national government, ensuring a balance of power.

💡Dormant Commerce Clause

The Dormant Commerce Clause is a principle in U.S. constitutional law that prohibits states from passing laws that unduly burden or discriminate against interstate commerce. The video script references this concept in the context of a Supreme Court case involving California's Proposition 12, illustrating the ongoing balance between state and federal powers.

💡Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States, established by the Constitution. The video script discusses a specific case that came before the Supreme Court, demonstrating the role of the judicial branch in interpreting laws and resolving disputes between states and the federal government.

💡Federalism

Federalism is a system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units. The video script explores the tension between federal and state powers, particularly in the context of the Articles of Confederation and the subsequent Constitution, to illustrate the complex relationship between the U.S. states and the federal government.

Highlights

Study Hall courses offer an opportunity to earn college credits by visiting gostudyhall.com.

The Founders' first attempt at creating the US government under the Articles of Confederation was a failure.

High taxes and economic hardship led to protests like Shays’ Rebellion in Massachusetts.

The national government under the Articles couldn't create an army or effectively address economic issues.

The Articles of Confederation were the first unifying document for the thirteen states but had significant flaws.

Each state had equal representation under the Articles, leading to disproportionate representation based on population size.

Amendments to the Articles required unanimous approval, making changes nearly impossible.

The lack of a strong executive and judicial system under the Articles weakened law enforcement and federal authority.

The national government was unable to impose taxes, leading to financial instability and inability to repay war debts.

Interstate trade barriers and individual state currencies created economic challenges under the Articles.

The Articles failed to provide a framework for collective dilemmas such as war and natural disasters.

Shays’ Rebellion highlighted the urgent need for a new government structure.

The Constitutional Convention of 1787 resulted in a new document with a stronger national government.

The Constitution introduced a bicameral legislature to balance power and prevent the concentration of authority.

Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution granted Congress significant new powers including taxation and trade regulation.

The Constitution established the executive branch with a president and the judicial branch including the Supreme Court.

The balance of power between national and state governments remains a complex and evolving issue.

The Supreme Court case on California's Proposition 12 illustrates the tension between state and federal authority in regulation.

The Articles of Confederation, despite their shortcomings, were an essential stepping stone to the current US government structure.

Study Hall's Power and Politics in US Government explores the ongoing intricacies of federal and state power dynamics.

Transcripts

To learn more about earning college  credits with Study Hall courses go  

to gostudyhall.com or click  the link in the description.

You know what Aaliyah said: if at first you don’t  succeed, dust yourself off and try again. Well,  

apparently that also applies to the government  because that’s exactly what the Founders did  

when their first attempt at creating  the US government was a total failure.

Imagine you're part of the newly designed  government and things are… not going great.  

For one, ex-soldiers turned farmers  in Massachusetts keep protesting high  

taxes by attacking courthouses  and other government properties.

And from the farmers' perspective,  they're fed up. They were underpaid  

during the Revolutionary War and now face  higher taxes than ever. And in many cases,  

they even face foreclosures and  arrests for lack of payment.

You'd think the national government would  step in and try to handle the situation,  

but it can't. It can’t even create an army!  Everything spirals out of control and we  

end up with a full-blown Shays’ Rebellion,  which was eventually (violently) put down.

And who's to blame? The Articles of Confederation.

The Articles were our first attempt at unifying  the original thirteen states. But when it comes  

to foundational documents, they’re overshadowed  by the more popular, better looking Constitution,  

and the only time they get attention is when  people want to point out their failures.

But, that doesn’t mean the Articles  weren’t really impactful in terms  

of shaping how much power the states versus  the national government have over our lives.

Hi! I’m Carmella Boykin and this is Study  Hall: Power and Politics in US Government.

When the colonies drafted the Declaration of  Independence in 1776, that left a bit of a  

government vacuum they had to figure out how to  fill. And if building a new government doesn't  

sound hard enough, remember the colonists were  trying to do this while fighting a massive war.

The country also looked different compared  to today. The former 13 colonies spread from  

Massachusetts down to Georgia. While to the west  were Indigenous and Spanish territories. And all  

of these factors clearly show up in their  first attempt at creating a US government.

Like at the start of the American Revolution,  

the colonists were understandably wary  of a strong, centralized government.

The Continental Congress, aka the group  of Founders that led the Revolution,  

didn’t want to return to a monarchy like they had  just escaped. And so they channeled this anxiety  

into their first attempt at outlining  the framework for the US government.

Behold: The Articles of Confederation!  Which came into effect in 1781. The  

Founders intentionally created a  weak national government to make  

sure that it couldn’t accumulate too  much power over individual states.

But this immediately caused some cracks  to show. First let’s talk about structure.

The Founders decided that each state should  have equal representation. But smaller states,  

scared of being overpowered by larger ones,  

fought for what they thought was equal,  meaning each state only got one vote.

So people in larger states were severely less  represented compared to states with smaller  

populations. Tiny Delaware had as much say as  Virginia which had a population 10x its size.

The Articles also required that any amendments or  changes would need to be approved by all states.  

So every state had to agree on something,  which was next to impossible at the time.

And the Founders really let their fear of  kings show when they completely left out a real  

executive, like a president or a prime minister,  as well as a permanent national judicial system.

So the laws that Congress passed  weren’t really being enforced. And  

because the judicial systems were left  up to the states, they could essentially  

overturn any laws they didn’t like,  and couldn’t really be punished for it.

And this structure did what  it was designed to do -- it  

severely limited the power of the  national government over the states.

But the Articles also left the fledgling  nation unprepared to deal with collective  

dilemmas, which are scenarios that call for  cooperation among people or states. Instead,  

short-term self-interest kept this from happening.

First, trade was a major collective dilemma. To  figure out why, we have to look at taxes. The  

national government didn’t have the power  to impose taxes, only the states could.

So instead of imposing its own taxes, the national  government had to request money from the states.  

But, because there weren’t any consequences,  this monthly Venmo request was often overlooked.

With an underfunded national government, the  country couldn’t afford to pay back its debts  

from the Revolutionary War. And that made other  countries wary of this new, seemingly unreliable  

collection of states. So they weren’t super  excited to trade with us or lend us money.

The severely weakened national  government was also powerless  

in keeping states from implementing trade  barriers like tariffs between each other.

So dealing with money in general is another  collective dilemma. Under the Articles,  

each state minted its own currency, which  like, wasn’t really accepted in other states.

And war is also a big  collective dilemma. Remember,  

the Revolutionary War wouldn’t officially  end until 1783. Which makes you wonder how  

a war could be fought when the national  government basically has no authority.

Well the answer, as the colonists soon  found out, is that it couldn’t. And like  

we said at the start, one of the biggest  issues with the Articles was that Congress  

wasn’t allowed to require state governments  to provide troops for combat or defense.

So looking back, it’s clear the weak  national government wasn’t equipped to  

deal with collective dilemmas. This is  where we start to see strong opposition  

to the Articles of Confederation. In fact  many historians label Shays’ Rebellion in  

1786-1787 as the catalyst for recognizing  the need to create a new government.

To put this into perspective, imagine  the current US government under the  

Articles when there’s a collective  dilemma, like a natural disaster.

When Hurricane Sandy hit the  East Coast of the US in 2012,  

New Jersey governor Chris Christie worked  with the Federal Emergency Management Agency,  

or FEMA, to acquire funds and set  up relief centers for victims.

If there were no federal government, and  no FEMA, it would’ve been up to the states  

alone to coordinate their response to Sandy. And  with no centralized power at the national level,  

it’s difficult to imagine anything getting done.

Back in the 1780s, it was becoming impossible  to ignore the problems under the Articles. In  

response, another convention was called to  talk about how to make things less terrible.

Founders like George Washington and James  Madison traveled to Philadelphia in May of 1787.  

Despite Congress only asking them to come up with  potential improvements to the existing Articles,  

the founders emerged four months later with  a brand new document: the Constitution.

And it wasn’t an easy process. For one people  

were still worried about having  a powerful national government.

This concern is partly responsible  for our bicameral, or two-chamber,  

legislature today. The two chambers of Congress  are the House of Representatives and the Senate,  

and they share the power to create and  pass laws through checks and balances.

That being said, the Constitution still  gave significantly more authority to  

the national government than  it had under the Articles.

Like if we look at Article 1,  Section 8 of the Constitution,  

Congress can impose taxes, regulate  interstate and international trade,  

mint a national currency, regulate patents,  declare war, and raise funds for that war.

And despite their fear of having an all-powerful  leader, the Constitution calls for a president who  

leads the nation by enforcing laws and leading war  efforts. But, this executive is still indirectly  

elected by electors from each state, instead of  directly by the people, like with a popular vote.

The Constitution also created the judicial branch,  including the Supreme Court, the most powerful  

court in the US. Their power can be seen in how  some of their rulings can only be undone by a  

new ruling or a change in the Constitution, while  others can only be undone with new legislation.

So overall the Founders were  trying to compensate for their  

previous mistakes by slowly expanding  the power of the national government.

But, the balance of power between the  

national and state governments is  fragile. And even 200 years later,  

we’re still muddling through the intricacies  of where state authority meets federal power.

If the national and state government’s  relationship had a song, it would be  

Avril Lavigne’s “complicated”. We  talk about it more in our episodes  

that cover policy issues like marijuana  and abortion rights. But the lines of  

authority can also get blurred with  issues like trade between states.

State governments are obviously involved  because stuff is moving across state lines,  

while the stability of the national economy  depends on smooth trade. To better understand  

this complex relationship, let’s consider a  Supreme Court case coming out of California.

In 2018, around 63% of California  voters approved Proposition 12,  

which is an amendment to the  state’s Health and Safety Code.

This amendment prohibits any farmers or  business owners from knowingly confining  

quote, “egg-laying hens, breeding  pigs, and calves raised for veal”,  

as well as selling products from animals  that have been treated inhumanely.

And one key part of this case is that  the amendment also applies to products  

imported into California and not  just produced within California.

So every animal product that pork farmer  Frannie exports needs to meet both her home  

state of Iowa’s regulations and  those from California. Like that  

pregnant and nursing pigs have enough  room to turn around in their cages.

Frannie understands where they’re coming from,  but in order to follow the California rules,  

she would have to get all new enclosures and  basically rebuild her farm from the ground up.

And the thing is, California doesn’t  produce that much of its own pork,  

so this rule affects a lot  more people than just Frannie.

She and others from the  animal agriculture industry  

were frustrated by having to keep in  line with both sets of regulations.

And the US has something called  the Dormant Commerce Clause,  

which is sort of like the judicial flip-side  of the Constitution’s Commerce Clause.

It says that states can be restricted from  passing policies that hurt interstate trade  

in cases where the burden outweighs the benefits.

So the farmers argue that because California  makes up only roughly 13% of the country’s  

pork consumers, the benefit of this policy  doesn’t outweigh the cost it’ll have on  

the animal industry. Not to mention  the additional costs to consumers.

So industry farmers and trade  associations took the case to court,  

and it eventually wound up at  the Supreme Court in March 2022.

They heard the case in October 2022, and the  Court upheld the California law in May, 2023.

So Frannie will have to either revamp her  farm, or lose the California market. Or worse,  

her entire farm. Which goes to show  how much power states really hold.

It’s fair that people in California should be  able to vote and decide what they want to eat,  

and how animals should be treated there.

But what if people in California start telling  Iowans what to do with their potato crops. Or Iowa  

retaliates by regulating California products and  we’re right back at the Articles of Confederation?

There’s a reason why this country is called the  

United States of America. The 50 states  have their own systems and identities,  

but they’re all tied together via the  federal government in Washington DC.

The Articles of Confederation were an early  attempt at creating the country we have now. If  

we still just had the Articles, we wouldn’t even  be discussing the court case out of California.  

They could just do as they please. But it’s  clear why we need to have a stronger federal  

government to do things like trade effectively  between states and raise armies in times of war.

The Articles were written as a solution  to a newly established country in crisis,  

and they definitely missed the mark in a few  key areas. But we’ll let you decide whether  

you think they deserve the grief they got from  the rest of the foundational document family.

If you’re enjoying Study Hall Power  and Politics in US Government and  

are interested in taking an online course and  earning college credit, visit gostudyhall.com  

or click on the button to learn more.  Thanks for watching, see you next time!