This learning resource explores the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, focusing on three major structural flaws: the inability to tax, the lack of a standing military, and the 9/13 legislative rule that hindered effective governance. It examines how these limitations paralyzed the federal government and resulted in economic distress and social unrest, culminating in Shays' Rebellion. The material prompts students to analyze the consequences of these structural voids and encourages critical thinking about the need for constitutional reform.