Similarities and Differences between Articles of Confederation and Constitution – Compare and Contrast Essay

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Introduction

The Articles of Confederation vs Constitution share commonalities, albeit with notable differences. Primarily, both documents were crafted by individuals who, despite their shared endeavor, held distinct perspectives. These foundational texts have long been regarded as the official government of the United States, enduring over an extended period as the guiding laws for the nation.

Similarities between Articles of Confederation and Constitution

There is a number of similarities between Articles of Confederation and Constitution. The nation is recognized as the United States of America in both the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution. Both documents delegate the authority to make laws to the legislature. However, a crucial distinction lies in the structure of the legislature: the Articles of Confederation establish a single house referred to as Congress, while the Constitution features two houses, collectively known as Congress but subdivided into the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The Congress in the Articles of Confederation comprises members ranging from two to seven per state. In contrast, the Constitution stipulates two senators per state, contingent on each state’s population. The voting system in Congress diverges between the two documents: the Articles of Confederation dictate one vote per state, while the Constitution prescribes one vote per representative.

The process of appointing members differs as well. In the Constitution, representatives are elected through the popular vote, whereas, in the Articles of Confederation, members are appointed by state legislatures. Another notable distinction is found in the terms of service for legislative officeholders. In the Constitution, representatives serve for two years, while senators serve for six years. Conversely, the Articles of Confederation mandate a one-year term for legislative officeholders, with a term limit not exceeding three out of six years.

These nuanced differences in legislative structure and processes illuminate the evolution from the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution.

Differences between Articles of Confederation and Constitution

The differences between Articles of Confederation and Constitution are as follows. The Articles of Confederation do not recognize any executive, while the Constitution acknowledges the president as the executive. Amendments to laws under the Articles of Confederation require the agreement of all states, whereas in the Constitution, it is achieved with the consent of three-quarters of all states.

Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses in both the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution offers a nuanced understanding of the evolutionary strides made in governance. The Articles of Confederation served as a starting point in the journey toward a new constitution, marked by having more weaknesses than strengths. Notably, it exerted extra efforts to unite the states and establish a robust legislature.

Many valued this initiative, providing an opportunity for people to actively contribute to government actions. Within the Articles, colonists proposed the land ordinance as a means to create new states and address the national debt. However, a significant weakness lay in its failure to allocate powers to the federal government, rendering it insufficient.

The federal government under the Articles of Confederation lacked the authority to regulate commerce and taxes. In contrast, the Constitution introduced strengths such as empowering the government to tax, provisioning for a standing army, establishing a common currency, and appointing a common leader.

Conclusion

Above all, its main strength is that it has remained successful and unchanged up to date, serving as the source of rules and regulations for the United States. However strong the US Constitution is, it has some critics. This constitution has been regarded by many as undemocratic, particularly when compared in the context of the Articles of Confederation vs Constitution. It is considered to be undemocratic because of its idea of having indirect presidential elections and confusing senators’ elections. Finally, the Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation as its strengths overdo its weaknesses, unlike the Articles which had more weaknesses than strengths.

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IvyPanda. (2018) 'Similarities and Differences between Articles of Confederation and Constitution - Compare and Contrast Essay'. 21 May.

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IvyPanda. 2018. "Similarities and Differences between Articles of Confederation and Constitution - Compare and Contrast Essay." May 21, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/comparison-of-the-us-constitution-with-the-articles-of-confederation/.

1. IvyPanda. "Similarities and Differences between Articles of Confederation and Constitution - Compare and Contrast Essay." May 21, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/comparison-of-the-us-constitution-with-the-articles-of-confederation/.


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IvyPanda. "Similarities and Differences between Articles of Confederation and Constitution - Compare and Contrast Essay." May 21, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/comparison-of-the-us-constitution-with-the-articles-of-confederation/.

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