The Articles of the Confederation were the first set of laws in the newly formed United States. They spelled out the rules for the first government. The Articles of Confederation did not provide an effective form of government from 1781 to 1789. The Articles of Confederation had several problems. They had no foreign policy to help regulate trade with Britain or Spain. They gave the states too much power. States started to behave like small countries. The Articles of Confederation gave the states the option to set up their own foreign trade policies. Therefore, the government had no control over trade. The Articles also had a weak domestic policy. The states, no matter their size, were given only one vote in congress. Furthermore, the states needed a unanimous vote if any amendments were to be made to the Articles. The Articles of the Confederation did not provide an effective form of government. Congress, because there was no National court system could not settle disputes between states. The Articles provided the states with the enforcement of their own laws. States could refuse to recognize laws of the other states and this allowed criminals to escape the laws by fleeing across state lines. The Articles gave the states the power to print their own money. The states printed more bills to pay off their own debts overseas, which eventually resulted in inflation and financial chaos. The National government was not given enough power and the states were given too much.
The Articles of Confederation created a weak National government with most of the governmental powers retained by each state. The Articles did not provide a separation of branch government; it had no executive or judicial branch. Congress, known as the legislature branch, was the only branch of government. The members of Congress could not vote as individuals but as states. There were