Under the Articles of Confederation, how many chambers did the national legislature have?

• A. One
• B. Two
• C. Three
• D. None

Answer: (A)

Under the Articles of Confederation, the national legislature was unicameral—that is, it had only one chamber. This single body, the Continental Congress, represented states rather than the people directly, with each state having one vote regardless of size. The design reflected a preference for keeping power close to the states and avoiding a strong central government. Because there was just one chamber, decisions required broad consensus among the states: most laws needed approval from many states, and amendments required unanimous agreement. There was no second house or separate executive at the national level, which is why the framework operated with a single legislative chamber.