Which document served as the first US constitution until 1789 and created a weak central government with no power to tax, no executive or judicial branches, and gave each state one vote?

Which document served as the first US constitution until 1789 and created a weak central government with no power to tax, no executive or judicial branches, and gave each state one vote?

• A. Articles of Confederation
• B. Constitution of the United States
• C. Northwest Ordinance
• D. Bill of Rights

Answer: (A)

This question is about the first framework the United States used for national government and why it was so limited. The document created a loose union of sovereign states with a single central Congress. There was no executive to enforce laws and no national judiciary to interpret them. The central government could not tax or compel states to contribute revenue; it could only request funds, which led to chronic financial weakness. Each state had one vote in Congress, regardless of population, which preserved equality among states but limited federal authority. Because major decisions required broad consensus and amending the framework required unanimity, the national government struggled to govern effectively. These features explain why this framework lasted only until the Constitution was adopted in 1789 to establish a stronger federal system. (As context, the Northwest Ordinance operated under this framework to organize western territories, but it did not serve as a constitution.)

This question is about the first framework the United States used for national government and why it was so limited. The document created a loose union of sovereign states with a single central Congress. There was no executive to enforce laws and no national judiciary to interpret them. The central government could not tax or compel states to contribute revenue; it could only request funds, which led to chronic financial weakness. Each state had one vote in Congress, regardless of population, which preserved equality among states but limited federal authority. Because major decisions required broad consensus and amending the framework required unanimity, the national government struggled to govern effectively. These features explain why this framework lasted only until the Constitution was adopted in 1789 to establish a stronger federal system. (As context, the Northwest Ordinance operated under this framework to organize western territories, but it did not serve as a constitution.)