I know obviously, given its name, that the CSA was a confederacy of southern states. What I do not know however is how this was actually implemented. I assume that is was based off of the United States' political system (National/State constitutions and governing bodies, elected leaders, and somewhat federalized government). Did the national government have equal or less authority than the US government? I would imagine that they were hesitant to give much power to a centralized government and elect to hold more power in the states much like the articles of the confederation.
What is interesting to me is that during the American Revolution, the 13 colonies were very similar in a way to the South. Although there were no regional differences they had to establish a hasty government during secession and wartime much like the colonies and the continental congress/early implementation of the articles of confederation. This was no easy task for the founding fathers and I imagine it was the same for the south to get everyone on board.
What is also interesting to me is that the US clearly chose to forego the articles in favor of our current constitutional system (multiple contributing factors). Did the confederacy ever imagine switching their system if they had succeeded in their secession? Lastly, I know the southern states were having difficulty fighting the war because the states refused to offer money,troops, and supplies to the national government. Why did they not look to the relatively recent past of the revolutionary era and learn from past mistakes or adapt their situation to have a more powerful wartime government?
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/csa_csa.asp
This is a link to the confederate constitution. It is almost, but not quite the same as the US constitution. The changed every occurrence of "United states" with Confederacy. There are other subtle legal differences (president serves a 6 year term), but essentially it is a very similar document, even outlawing the importation of foreign slaves.
They weren't trying to have another revolution, and establish a new order. They just wanted thing to stay the way they had always been, without any threat to their peculiar institutions.
SO they Had and article 1, article 2, article 3 etc. to establish the Legislature, executive and judicial branches just like the original constitution with very little difference.
One thing that the CSA ha that was more "states rights" than the USA was that states could impeach federal officials operating in their state.