Under them, the United States in Congress Assembled can raise no taxes for the common good. Congress must issue periodic appeals for funds - and some states pay, some don't. A vivid example of the danger came in 1783, when several former officers of the Continental Army got tired of waiting for Congress to give them pensions - and plotted a coup. Luckily, Washington heard of the scheme, and was able to squelch it. And it has proven utterly powerless over the worst problems facing the states.
Several states maintain customs services, taxing the goods of their neighbors.
Nine have their own navies. New York claims ownership of Vermont, which has declared independence - and has even, alarmingly, negotiated separately with the British to win recognition as a separate entity. Meanwhile, Connecticut and Pennsylvania are feuding over the Wyoming Valley. Hard cash is almost nonexistent, and attempted solutions to debt problems have proven disastrous. Rhode Island's policy has been to print paper money - and to demand that creditors accept it in payment.