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Difficulty: EasyWeaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

Under the Articles of Confederation, the national government lacked the power to regulate commerce between the states. Which of the following was a direct consequence of this structural weakness?

  1. A
    The national government imposed high tariffs on shipping between states to raise revenue.
  2. B
    The national judiciary struck down state trade barriers for violating the Interstate Commerce Clause.
  3. Individual states established their own tariffs and trade barriers, disrupting domestic trade.Answer
  4. D
    The executive branch used military force to compel states to adopt uniform trade policies.

Answer

Individual states established their own tariffs and trade barriers, disrupting domestic trade.
The correct option is correct because the lack of federal authority over interstate commerce allowed individual states to impose retaliatory tariffs and trade barriers on goods imported from neighboring states, which severely hindered domestic trade and weakened the national economy.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the weakness of the Articles of Confederation specified in the stem.
The central government lacked the power to regulate interstate commerce.
This sets the focus on trade relations between the individual states during the 1780s.
2
Analyze how states behaved economically in the absence of a central regulating authority.
States acted in their own self-interest, creating separate currencies and taxing goods from neighboring states.
Without a federal arbiter, states engaged in economic protectionism, resulting in interstate trade conflicts.
3
Determine which option describes state-level trade barriers.
The option indicating that states established their own tariffs is correct.
This choice directly aligns with the historical reality of trade disruptions caused by a lack of national regulatory power.

Key Concept

Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
Estimated Time:45s
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Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

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