why the articles of confederation failed

The Articles of Confederation failed because they left too much power with the states. The federal government had no power to collect taxes, no power to regulate trade, and no power to enforce laws. There was also no executive branch under the Articles of Confederation, and no national court system. Also, all states had to give consent in order for amendments to be passed and 9 out of 13 states had to give consent in order for laws to be passed. This rarely happened, because there were hardly ever enough delegates to pass a law and 5 small states could completely block what larger states wanted. The only power the federal government had was to make war and peace, send and receive ambassadors, enter into treaties, raise and equip a navy, maintain an army by requesting troops from the states, appoint senior military officers, fix standards of weights and measures, regulate Indian affairs, establish post offices, and decide certain disputes among states.