Under the Articles of Confederation, the national government could request that men be sent to form the country's militia, but it could not force the states to comply. The reason for this was because there was no branch to enforce the laws.
1. The Articles of Confederation, adopted in 1781, established a weak central government where the states retained most of the power.
2. One of the major weaknesses of the Articles was the lack of a strong executive branch to enforce laws passed by the national government.
3. Without a mechanism to enforce laws or mandates issued by the central government, the states were not obligated to comply with requests such as sending men to form the militia.
4. This limitation highlighted a significant flaw in the Articles of Confederation and underscored the need for a stronger federal government, leading to the eventual drafting and adoption of the United States Constitution in 1787.
In conclusion, under the Articles of Confederation, the national government could not force the states to comply with requests like forming a militia because there was no branch to enforce the laws at the federal level.
