Final answer:
The Articles of Confederation did not include an executive led by a president. They focused on preserving state power and lacked the ability to collect taxes for national defense.
Explanation:
One of the characteristics that was NOT part of the Articles of Confederation was an executive led by a president. The Articles did not establish a national executive branch or a single head of state.
Instead, the Articles emphasized preserving state power and had limitations on the national government's authority, such as the inability to collect taxes to fund a national defense.
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