The Articles of Confederation failed primarily because they created a very weak central government that lacked the power to enforce laws, regulate commerce, raise revenue through taxes, maintain a standing army, or conduct effective foreign policy. Key reasons for their failure included the absence of a strong executive leader, no national judiciary, each state having equal voting power regardless of size, difficulty passing laws (requiring consent of nine out of thirteen states), and an impractical amendment process requiring unanimous approval from all states. This led to economic disorganization, inability to pay war debts, diplomatic disadvantages, and internal unrest such as Shays' Rebellion which the national government could not quell. Ultimately, these weaknesses made the Articles ineffective in governing the new nation and necessitated their replacement by the U.S. Constitution.