Comparing the
Articles of Confederation and
the U.S. Constitution
Unit 1
Governmental System
Articles of Confederation
U.S. Constitution
Confederation - All power in the
states
Federal - Power divided between
national and state governments
National Government
Articles of Confederation
U.S. Constitution
A unicameral Congress (no separate,
independent executive or judicial
branches)
Three separate, independent
branches: Legislative, Executive, and
Judicial
Only
Congress
Articles of Confederation
U.S. Constitution
Unicameral - Each state had one vote
Bicameral - House of
Representatives (# from each state
determined by population) and
Senate (2 from each state)
Judiciary
Articles of Confederation
U.S. Constitution
State courts only - no U.S. courts
Each state has its own set of courts,
but there is a set of federal courts
including the U.S. Supreme Court
Interstate Trade
Articles of Confederation
U.S. Constitution
States controlled - Congress had no
power over
Congress has the power to regulate
trade between states
Currency
Articles of Confederation
U.S. Constitution
Each state coined its own money
Only Congress has the power to coin
money
Amendments
Articles of Confederation
U.S. Constitution
Required the votes of all thirteen
states
Proposed by a ⅔ vote of both Houses
of Congress and ratified by state
legislatures or state conventions of ¾
of the states
Raising Revenue by Taxation
Articles of Confederation
U.S. Constitution
Congress (the national government)
has no power to tax
Congress and the states have the
power to tax
Federal
States
Federal
States
Laws
Articles of Confederation
U.S. Constitution
The states did not have to follow
laws passed by Congress, nor did
Congress have the power to enforce
laws.
The Constitution is the “supreme law
of the land”, and the executive
branch has the power to enforce the
law.