The articles that create a "loose confederation of states". is an example of one of these weaknesses. The Confederacy had no independent executive or judicial power, no federal taxing or revenue-raising power, and no federal power to directly affect individual citizens. Congress had the authority to make treaties with foreign powers, but all such treaties had to be approved by the states. Congress had no power to impose taxes or regulate commerce. This means that congress could not make the colonists pay taxes, but could only ask state governments for money. Both the states and the national Congress had accumulated debts during the war, and Congress had no power to standardize foreign or interstate affairs, so paying off debts became a major concern. There was also a lack of a national currency as states had begun printing their own currency, thus reducing the strength of the American economy. The articles respected states to such an extent that their veto power could literally stop the country's defense and taxation. There was no executive branch, so the national government had no power to enforce acts passed by Congress. This meant that it could not adequately defend itself from foreign invasion because it needed the states' consent. The power level of the item