Which governmental structure was NOT established by the Articles of Confederation?

The correct answer highlights that the Articles of Confederation did not establish a centralized executive branch. The Articles created a government that emphasized state sovereignty and limited the power of the national government. It established a unicameral legislature known as the Congress of the Confederation, where each state had one vote, but it did not incorporate an executive branch that would be responsible for enforcing laws or conducting national affairs.

Under the Articles, there was no singular leader or president with executive powers; instead, Congress was the primary governing body. This lack of a centralized executive was one of the reasons for the later call for a more robust federal structure, leading to the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

The other options—bicameral legislature, federal judiciary, and a Congress with representatives from each state—are all associated with later developments in the U.S. government following the shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation, particularly with the establishment of the U.S. Constitution. The desire for an effective federal government led to these changes, including a bicameral legislature (the House of Representatives and the Senate) and the creation of a system of federal courts.