In comparing the Articles of Confederation with the American Constitution drafted by the Federal Convention of 1787, it is important to note that the United States operated under both documents. On March 1, 1781, the Articles of Confederation took effect when ratified by Maryland. However, the U.S. Constitution superseded the Articles of Confederation upon its ratification on June 21, 1788, by New Hampshire. The main difference between the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution is that the Constitution does not impose laws, but establishes the purpose of the Constitution. By establishing the why, it forced farmers to work to make government better than the Articles of Confederation. They wanted a government. With thirteen independent states, each of them would have their own rules and would likely partner with other forces. Some states might even have been conquered, which would eventually start a war between them. If the Constitution had not been created, the government could have done whatever it wanted without any consequences. I have the impression that there would be no amendments or laws, which would have put our country in serious difficulties. Not having a constitution would have given several states the opportunity to create what we know today as the United States. Without the power of the constitution, each state would set its own regulations on how laws should be considered and approached. This also means that each state should create its own money, because we all know that money is the cause of all evil. Without a constitution, each state would also have to establish systems of patents, copyrights, piracy and declare war on other states. Simply, without the Constitution, the United States as we know it today would not exist. Our country would become weak and end up breaking many bad rules and laws. To answer the second part of this question, if the Articles of Confederation were in effect, our country would not be any better when it comes to laws. The Articles of Confederation would make our country extremely weak considering the many factors that led to its failure. No source of power would be given to Congress or the federal government, which would ultimately cause enormous problems. This would then raise issues of tax collection and regulation of commerce across the United States. Without a source of power under the Articles of Confederation, law enforcement would be difficult and difficult to manage. The main weaknesses that could bring down this country are as follows: :