what type of government did the articles of confederation create

The Articles of Confederation created a weak confederation of sovereign states—a “firm league of friendship”—with a very limited national government centered in a unicameral Congress and no separate executive or judiciary.

Basic government type

• The system is best described as a confederation : a loose union where the states kept most of the real power and independence.

• The national government was not a strong central authority; it depended on the states for money, troops, and enforcement of its decisions.

How the national government worked

• There was a single-house (unicameral) Congress that served as the national government’s main—and essentially only—branch.

• Congress could declare war, make treaties, manage foreign relations, and handle certain common issues, but it could not tax, regulate interstate commerce, or directly compel states to obey its laws.

What was missing

• There was no president or separate executive branch, because the states feared recreating anything like a monarchy.

• There was no national court system to interpret laws or settle many disputes; most authority stayed with state courts.

Power of the states

• Each state retained its “sovereignty, freedom, and independence,” and any powers not expressly given to Congress stayed with the states.

• Changing (amending) the Articles required unanimous approval of all 13 states, which made strengthening the central government extremely difficult.

In short: the Articles of Confederation created a weak confederal government—essentially a loose alliance of powerful states with a very limited national legislature and no separate executive or judicial branches.