During 17th century, there was a king in France, an emperor in China, a czarina in Russia and a shogun in Japan but only the office of the President remains. George Washington though took the office as the first president of the United States in 1789 and served two terms. Washington was the only president elected unanimously, receiving all 69 of the electoral votes cast (“George Washington 2004”).
His impact as the first President of the United States still influences the contemporary US government and the White House leadership.Washington, though he could be crowned as a king, concluded that reform was essential through establishing an energetic and new US Constitution. During his eight years in the office, he applied a strong federal government. He did not allow others to trap him as royalty but rather he worked on the principle of merit (Kelly, 2008).
Washington manifested and proved this when during his leadership; he issued a Declaration of Neutrality when war broke out between France and England in 1793 (Baliles 2008).The President insisted on his power to act independent of Congress in foreign conflicts. His warning against foreign entanglements and relationships inspired an independent America where US future presidents was being inspired with. One of the most significant accomplishments of Washington was keeping the United States out of the war, giving the new nation an opportunity to grow in strength while establishing the principle of neutrality that shaped American foreign policy for more than a century (Warren, 2008).
In history, he was known as the “Father of the Nation” who initially created a new government shaping its institutions, offices and political practices (Baliles, 2008). During his presidency, he administered the government with integrity and fairness assuring Americans that the President could exercise extensive executive authority without corruption (Jack 2008). He primarily organized an executive branch of a new government and who created a role to the highest officer of the new nation. Washington struggled to prevent the emergence of political parties because political factions according to him may threaten the public.
He was determined to discourage the rise of political factions (Baliles, 2008) during his leadership. As a result, Washington managed to persuade the American people that their prosperity and hope lay in the unity under strong central authority. He was the one initially established power on the president. Washington’s profound achievements built the foundations of a powerful national government that has survived and benefited the American people far more than two centuries (Baliles, 2008).
