The closest European analogy to America under the Articles of Confederation at the time of the Constitutional Convention was the Holy Roman Empire, which was already moribund, and on its way to death a little less than 20 years later. The closest contemporary analogy is the EU. What would America look like today if it were operated in a manner similar to the EU?
The country would be unrecognizable. Here are three of the principal changes:
1. Gavin Newsom would be the most important political figure in the country. The most important decisions affecting America as a whole would be made collectively by Newsom, Greg Abbott, Andrew Cuomo, and Ron DeSantis.
2. There would be no national entitlement programs or deposit insurance. Each state would have its own version of Social Security. Movement between states would be more difficult as a result.
3. There would be no national army–just 50 militias that would operate under a unified command wherever necessary. States like California and Texas would have their own nuclear weapons.
Mind-blowing, no? It could have happened, but for the drafting and ratification of the Constitution, which was anything but a historical inevitability. It was the dream of the Anti-Federalists. It sounds like a nightmare to me.
Of course, there would be one positive thing about a confederal system; Donald Trump would be a figurehead.