Which plan of government for the United States after the Revolutionary War created a weak central government and gave most power to the states?

• A. U.S. Constitution
• B. Northwest Ordinance
• C. Declaration of Independence
• D. Articles of Confederation

Answer: (D)

The plan being tested describes a system that intentionally weakens the national government and leaves most authority with the states. The Articles of Confederation fit this description: ratified in 1781, it created a loose alliance of sovereign states with a single national Congress where each state had one vote, no separate executive, and no national judiciary. Major laws required a large majority, and amending the Articles needed unanimity, while the central government could only request money, conduct diplomacy, and manage wars—lacking the power to tax, regulate commerce, or enforce its decisions. This structure made the national government too feeble to handle postwar challenges, prompting the creation of a new framework—the U.S. Constitution—that empowered the federal government with clearer checks and balances. The other options don’t fit: the U.S. Constitution established a stronger central government; the Northwest Ordinance dealt with governance of western territories and statehood processes, not the overall plan of government; and the Declaration of Independence is a statement of independence, not a governing framework.