Under the Articles of Confederation, the government consisted of _________________ branch of government.

• A. Two
• B. Three
• C. One
• D. Four

Answer: (C)

The government under the Articles of Confederation operated with a single branch at the national level. That branch was the legislative Congress, a unicameral body that held the formal power to make laws and conduct national business. There was no separate executive to enforce those laws and no national judiciary to interpret them, so the national government consisted of only one branch with limited authority. The president of the Continental Congress existed more as a presiding officer than a true executive, reflecting the founders’ intent to keep power with the states and avoid a strong central authority. This design created a very weak national government, which is why the idea of one branch best fits the structure of the Articles.