George Washington Balance Power

"I walk on untrodden ground," is a phrase George Washington was known to say before he was inaugurated into the office in 1789. Being the first president, Washington had to find an efficient way to run the United States. Washington had to balance power, but not have anarchy or become a dictator. (Hughes) Washington realized that everything he would do in office would be criticized, and the good things that he would do would go on to be a guide to every other president. Setting these precedences would be one of the most important tasks Washington had while in office and would go on to still affect the government today. Washington managed to create a handful of precedences, the most influential being, how you set up a cabinet, the use of the …show more content…
The first use of the veto was when Alexander Hamilton wrote his three reports, which were his three ideas on how to get the United States out of debt. Washington examined all three of the reports and ended up only passing the Report on Public Credit, this promised to pay back bonds at full face value and assume the states debt into the national debt, and the Report on the National Bank, which created a national bank with a twenty year charter. The only report Washington did not pass was the Report on Manufacturers, stating that there would be a high tariff on other countries good to try to keep Americans money in America.(Appleby) This incident helped set the veto precedence because it showed Washington would not completely shut down ideas that came across his desk and that he would not accept every bill to be passed. Along the same lines would be how Washington went about enforcing unpopular laws among the people. A good example of how this was done was with the Whiskey Rebellion. Washington believed there needed to be an excise tax on whiskey to help pay off the debt faster, but the people who had to pay the tax did not agree. The people ended up rioting and going against the law. When Washington realized what was going on he sent 15,000 troops to Pennsylvania to stop the rioting. This made it extremely clear to the people that …show more content…
The most important out of these would be only serving two terms. Many people believe that, “He (Washington) was the man who could have been a king but refused a crown and saved a republic” (Hughes). Washington was the first person to have the most power over the United States, he could have easily remained in office until he died or he became a dictator of some sort. Instead, Washington only stayed in office for eight years, or two terms, and was able to back down and let the people elect a new president. The only time that a president has served more than two terms was when Franklin D. Roosevelt stayed in office for three terms and died during his fourth term. After this occurrence the president Washington set became a law when the twenty second amendment was ratified saying no president could return to office or stay in office for more than two terms. (Stockwell) Washington also set the precedent that when you are inaugurated you put your hand on the bible and you say the words “So help me God” in the presidential oath (Allen). This is not something that is required, but every president besides Theodore Roosevelt has added it to their speech. Among the other guidelines Washington set, he also set social guidelines. These include how most presidents are addressed as “Mr. President” and doing government business in the mornings, having meetings in the