It is sometimes suggested that the iroquois confederacy may have provided a model for the union of states into the united states of america. what similarities and differences are there between the two confederations

The United States Constitution is a kludge to manage the way that 13 distinct provinces would not like to surrender their sway however the Articles of Confederation had been a flounder. It's a bargain acquired by need. 
It is by all accounts well known nowadays to give a great deal of credit to the Iroquois, however it's not as though they developed the government structure; it has existed in Switzerland for a considerable length of time.