You know the story by now. The nation dipped out on the Articles and adopted a Federalist system under the Constitution. Here's the gist, Shmoopers: under the Articles, states had almost all the power to enforce laws; the Constitution provided for a balance of state and federal powers.

The biggest difference? The framers (a.k.a. the dudes who came up with the Constitution) created two new branches of government. The executive branch consisted of the President, Vice President, and their Cabinet, or advisors. They were in charge of enforcing the laws Congress came up with. The judicial branch was made up of a Supreme Court, which mediated disputes about national and state law.

Actually, why are we saying "was" and "were?" The Constitution is still around today…and it definitely looks like it's going to stick around for a while.