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

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

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.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

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

Work Cited

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

References

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

References

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/.


Bibliography


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/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1