We explain that what is the difference between Articles of Confederation and Constitution with chart. The Articles of Confederation and the Constitution are two well-known documents that point out the changes that the American Revolution made. The regulations of the Articles of Confederation were accepted and signed by the 13 states of the United States of America. A constitution consists of all the rules and principles that a democratic country must follow.
The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was the agreement that the 13 states of the United States agreed to follow. This was considered as its oldest constitution. The Second Continental Congress approved it on November 15, 1777. It took effect on March 1, 1781 to implement the independence and sovereignty of the states.
A constitution is the collection of all the principles, rules and regulations that the government and citizens of a country must follow. It is the backbone of a democratic country. India’s constitution is the longest and contains 444 articles, making it the largest democracy. Constitutions can also be implemented by individual institutions to prescribe their rules.
The difference between the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution is that the Articles of Confederation are the rules that were agreed upon by the United States of America in the 18th century, while the Constitution are the rules that democratic countries and other legalized institutions develop to implement law and order in your body.
Comparative table between the articles of Confederation and the Constitution (in tabular form)
Parameter of the articles of comparison of the Constitution of the Confederation
| Codification of the law | Unicameralism followed, which is having a single chamber in parliament. | The constitution follows bicameralism, that is, the parliament is divided into two chambers. |
| Voting power | Each state had only one vote in accordance with the Article of Confederation. | Each legislative representative has a vote in parliament according to the constitution. |
| Power distribution | The Articles of Confederation distributed power among many unions. | The constitution divides power among subordinates, but the ultimate power resides in the central authority. |
| Bill of Rights | Citizens were unable to claim the Bill of Rights under the Articles of Confederation. | The Constitution considers everyone equally and therefore citizens can claim the Bill of Rights. |
| Compliance with the law | 9 out of 13 states should have supported the law to enforce it everywhere. | Both houses of parliament have to support the law to amend it in a country. |
What are the articles of confederation?
The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was a bond that was signed between 13 states of the United States of America. It consisted of the rules that these states had to follow in the 18th century. It was the first agreement for a central government, and therefore the central system was weak.
The Articles of Confederation was a written document that embellished the idea of introducing a friendly bond between the states. This process was long. After many discussions and reorganizations, the document was accepted by the people. The main idea of the system was to divide the powers equally among all the states.
The committee included 13 people to finalize the draft. John Dickinson was the head of the committee and presented the final draft of the Articles of Confederation on July 12, 1776. Even after presenting the final document, there were arguments related to the distribution of power among the states.
Virginia ratified the Articles of Confederation and was followed by the others in the early 1779s. But these articles gave minimal power to the central government, and therefore it was headed by an unstructured central government. So this was not a solution that the government could come to terms with.
What is the Constitution?
The Constitution of a country is the set of all the rules and regulations that a citizen has to obey in the country. This is done by a group of people who are trusted by the government for their social knowledge. This document decides how a country or entity should be governed.
This is a written document where the principles are written considering the behavior of the entity. If the constitution is written in a single integral unit, then it is known as a codified constitution. When the constitution is written as part of the laws, it is known as an uncoded constitution. The UK constitution is not codified.
Anyone who wants a systematic and organized work structure can create a constitution they need. A constitution is the backbone of a democratic country and therefore power is divided between different departments. They also specify the power that is given to the majority, the minority, and individuals.
The constitution regards the central government as the epitome of powers. The central government can decide or override the laws that the state government implied. Furthermore, the constitution considers an individual citizen as a bearer of power. The government is decided by the vote cast by individuals.
Main differences between the articles of Confederation and the Constitution
- The articles of confederation follow a unicameral system while the constitution follows a bicameral system that has two chambers in parliament.
- A single vote is given to each state according to the Articles of Confederation, but in the case of the Constitution, each legislative member has one vote in parliament.
- All states had the same power according to the Articles of Confederation. The powers were divided between different departments by the constitution. But the maximum holder of power is the central government.
- Individual citizens were not allowed to claim the Bill of Rights in accordance with the Articles of Confederation. Anyone can claim their rights under the constitution.
- If 9 of the 13 states accepted a law, the Articles of Confederation implemented it. The constitution requires both houses to pass the law in order to enforce it to the public.
Final Thought
The Articles of Confederation were an early representation of a government drawn up by the United States of America. This was written to divide the powers between the states. It came into action at the end of the 18th century. After so many arguments and reworking’s, this document was accepted by the head of state.
The constitution is the last document that officials prepare to decide how their government should operate. The Constitution is the document that leads to a democratic government. The constitution divided power between the different levels of government. For an organized and fluid operation, even the institutions bet on coining constitutions.
