Answer:
The major downfall of the Articles of Confederation was simply weakness. The federal government, under the Articles, was too weak to enforce their laws and therefore had no power. The Continental Congress had borrowed money to fight the Revolutionary War and could not repay their debts.
The Articles of Confederation had several weaknesses. Three notable weaknesses include the national government's lack of power to tax, the absence of national army or navy and the ability of each state to issue their own paper money.