An effective government can be defined as one that has good relations with other countries, a good economic policy, and provides domestic tranquility among its people.
A country cannot function properly as a whole unless its governing body stresses these elements. While the Articles of Confederation were in existence from 1781 through 1789 they did not succeed in providing the United States with an effective government.
What the Articles of Confederation lacked was a working executive branch and judicial branch. It did however; under the circumstances of a young and inexperienced country have a few strong points.
The Articles of Confederation lacked a strong hand to control the economic condition of the United States. During the years 1781-1789 many of the colonists experienced the extreme inflation of goods. This was a result to Congress's failed attempts to curb economic laws by fixing prices. In general the colonists were worse off financially after the war than before.
The Articles of Conferderation, ratified in 1781. ...
The Articles of Conferderation, ratified in 1781. ...
The Articles of Conferderation, ratified in 1781. ...With poverty sweeping across the colonies, taxes were almost impossible to collect. Whether or not the Americans had money to pay the taxes was not the full problem. The Articles of Confederation did not have the power to force each colony to follow their demands. All a colony had to do was simply write a letter to Congress stating that they were rejecting the proposed taxes or tariff laws. This occurred in the rebellious colony of Rhode Island. (Doc. A) This could be done because there was no consequences to disobeying the Articles of Confederation. With out these taxes the United States did not have the funds to pay off their dept to France from the war. They also could not pay those in the army who had money owed to them for their services. Those who awaited their long over due paychecks...