The Constitution and the Articles of Confederation set up very different systems of government, mainly in how much power the national government had and how it was organized.

Below is a “match the feature to the correct document” style guide (tables are in HTML as requested).

Core idea of each document

  • Articles of Confederation: Loose “friendship” of independent states with a very weak national government.
  • Constitution: Stronger national (federal) government with shared powers between states and central government, plus clear branches and checks and balances.

Match the feature to the document

Government structure

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Feature Articles of Confederation U.S. Constitution
Type of legislature Unicameral (one-house Congress) Bicameral (House of Representatives and Senate)
Branches of government Only a Congress; no separate executive or national judiciary Three branches: Congress, President, federal courts
Executive power No national executive (no president) President as single national executive
National court system No national court system Federal court system and Supreme Court

Power of the national government

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Feature Articles of Confederation U.S. Constitution
Power to tax individuals No power to tax citizens directly; had to request money from states Congress can levy taxes directly on people and businesses
Power over interstate and foreign trade No power to regulate trade between states or with other countries effectively Congress has explicit power to regulate interstate and foreign commerce
Power to enforce laws Could pass laws but had no real way to enforce them on states or individuals Laws are enforced through the executive branch and national courts
Military power Could not maintain a strong national army; depended on state militias Can raise and support a national army and navy

Representation and lawmaking

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Feature Articles of Confederation U.S. Constitution
Representation of states in Congress Each state had one vote, regardless of population House: based on population; Senate: two per state
Passing ordinary laws Often required approval of 9 of 13 states, making it difficult to act Simple majorities in each house (with presidential signature) for most laws
Amending the document Required unanimous consent of all 13 states; almost impossible to change Requires proposal and ratification by three-fourths of states; difficult but doable

Rights and “big picture” vision

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Feature Articles of Confederation U.S. Constitution
Main focus of the document Protect state sovereignty; keep central government weak Create a workable national framework that balances state and federal power
Individual rights Focused mostly on state powers; no separate Bill of Rights Later amended with the Bill of Rights to protect individual liberties
Adaptability over time Rigid; unanimous approval needed for changes More flexible amendment process; can adapt to new problems

Quick matching cheat sheet

Use this list if you just need to “match the feature to the correct document” quickly:
  • “Loose alliance of states,” “weak central government,” “no president,” “no national courts,” “one vote per state,” “no power to tax,” “unanimous amendments” → Articles of Confederation.
  • “Stronger federal government,” “three branches,” “president,” “federal courts,” “bicameral Congress,” “power to tax and regulate trade,” “easier amendment process,” “Bill of Rights” → U.S. Constitution.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.