Which do you believe had the greatest impact on the American presidency, and why?

Question

2 As the first president of the United States, George Washington's policies and behavior shaped the executive officeaddition to Presidenthaving inavouration and a state of the union and farewell.address discuss four other political precedents set by Washington affected the actions and behaviors of future presidents Which do you believe had the greatest impact on the American presidency, and why?

Answer 1

Washington's establishing the precedent of how treaties would be ratified. Under the Constitution, the Senate must "advise and consent" the President when it comes to treaties. President Washington, during his first treaty, he sought to see this to exact letter; he went to the Senate to get their advice. He later commented that he would never do that again. Instead, he established the precedent of making the treaty and having the Senate give consent. Where does this impact the presidency, one might ask. Looking at World War I, where President Woodrow Wilson, went to Paris, without anyone of the opposing political party or Senator(s). Ultimately the Treaty of Versailles was never signed. Another example of this, would be the recent Treaty with Iran, where President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry made a treaty, and had some input from Senators thru backroom discussions and such, but ignored the advice of the Senate, and you saw bipartisan opposition to that treaty.

Answer 2

George Washington was a seasoned soldier and negotiator whose experience and talents led him to conclude that the democratic values espoused by the more erudite framers of the Constitution and experts on the fragile economic and regional realities of the new nation.

But he clearly understood that if the new nation were to sustain its principles and possess the ability to grow as a democracy, the infusion of new ideas and personalities was necessary--after all, what distinguished the United States was a common ability (among land-owning white men, at any rate, in 1787) was the premise that, in fact, equality was a reachable social aim that would also incentivize immigration, innovation, and ongoing refinement of generally acceptable premises for the country.

His initial insistence that the executive leader not only be replaceable but fluid as time went forward set the stage for the democracy that, until very recently, we took for granted.