Articles Of Confederation Thematic Analysis

Prior to the U.S. Constitution, the Articles of Confederation was the first written constitution of the United States, one that was created with a sense of urgency in an effort to have a written document outlining the rules of the new nation. The potential efficacy of this document was inhibited by fear of central governments. Most governmental powers were retained by the states. This was intended to prevent potential tyranny and corruption by a centralized and national government. The Articles of Confederation proved to be weak as it prevented the national government from enforcing laws and taxation. The shortcomings of the Articles led to the development of a federalist system of government outlined in the U.S. Constitution, meaning

Changes in values over time coupled with the freedom of states to secede could foreseeably result in a back and forth of secession and annexation of states. If the freedom to secede was a process with ease, the decision to do so could be made that much more flippantly and often at the cost of the citizens. Citizens would suffer the most, especially those reliant on the resources and opportunities provided by the federal government. Without belonging to it’s host nation, a state would be left to its own devices in terms of providing funding to sustain itself and its citizens (Pavkovic and Radan, 2007). The changes resulting from secession may be abrupt in nature, would most certainly upend the everyday lives of the people and would be accompanied with numerous consequences (Stepan, 1970). If the national government and the states are able to reconcile interests and manage conflicts effectively, perhaps the freedom to secede may never come to fruition as there might not be cause for it without the discourse that stems from the pursuit of sometimes differing interests by the two levels of government. The union has the potential to last but will be more at risk of collapse with the allowance of secession with