A major weakness of the Articles of Confederation was the central government's inability to levy taxes.

• A. The central government could levy taxes easily
• B. There was no national judiciary
• C. The central government lacked power to levy taxes
• D. There was a strong executive

Answer: (C)

The central issue being tested is the federal government's ability to raise revenue. Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress had no power to impose taxes; it could only request funds from the states, and those requests were often ignored. This left the national government chronically underfunded, unable to pay debts, maintain an army, or run essential operations. That financial weakness directly stems from the lack of taxation power, making it the defining flaw of the Articles.

The other statements miss the point about why this system failed financially. Saying the central government could levy taxes easily contradicts how the Articles actually worked. Noting there was no national judiciary or a strong executive describes other features of the government, but they do not address the crucial revenue problem that prevented the federal government from functioning effectively.