What was the main weakness of the Articles of Confederation?

• A. Weak national government.
• B. Strong executive.
• C. No representation.
• D. Excessive taxation.

Answer: (A)

The key idea this question tests is that the national government under the Articles of Confederation was too weak to govern effectively. It could not tax or regulate trade, so it couldn’t raise funds, pay debts, or coordinate a national economic policy. There was no independent executive to enforce laws or national courts to settle disputes, and any meaningful change required the agreement of all thirteen states. This made the government unable to respond to crises, defend the country, or act coherently on the world stage. Events like debt problems and domestic unrest underscored how powerless the central authority was, illustrating why a weak national government was the defining flaw. The other options don’t fit because representation existed in Congress, there was no strong executive, and the problem was not excessive taxation but the inability to raise funds and wield centralized authority.