Under the Articles of Confederation, passing a law required the approval of nine out of thirteen states, and amending the document required a unanimous vote of all thirteen states. Which of the following was a major consequence of these voting rules?
- AA strong executive branch frequently vetoed legislation, causing gridlock between the president and Congress.
- BSmaller states were underrepresented because legislative votes were allocated based on each state's population.
- The national government struggled to pass new legislation and was virtually unable to address structural flaws in its own constitution.Answer
- DThe national government easily raised revenue by forcing states to pay taxes under threat of military intervention.
Answer
The national government struggled to pass new legislation and was virtually unable to address structural flaws in its own constitution.
The supermajority requirement of nine out of thirteen states to pass laws and the unanimity requirement to amend the Articles of Confederation meant that a small minority of states could easily block legislation, and a single state could veto any constitutional reform. This led to severe inefficiency and prevented the national government from resolving its structural weaknesses.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
The high legislative and amendment thresholds under the Articles of Confederation made the national government highly ineffective and inflexible.
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