Skip to main content

What do Washington's cabinet, his policy of neutrality, and his two-term presidency have in common? They became precedents. They are called for...

George Washington was our first President after the Constitution was ratified. He served two terms as President, he had a Cabinet, and he strongly believed in a policy of neutrality. Each of these practices became a precedent for future presidents.


There is nothing in the Constitution about any of these ideas. The Cabinet is not formally mentioned. There was no limit on the number of terms a President could serve until the 22nd Amendment was...

George Washington was our first President after the Constitution was ratified. He served two terms as President, he had a Cabinet, and he strongly believed in a policy of neutrality. Each of these practices became a precedent for future presidents.


There is nothing in the Constitution about any of these ideas. The Cabinet is not formally mentioned. There was no limit on the number of terms a President could serve until the 22nd Amendment was passed. There is no mention in the Constitution that we must remain neutral. These are not laws, and they all don’t deal with foreign affairs.


The presidents after George Washington followed these practices. Thus, they became precedents. Only one president served more than two terms. That was Franklin D. Roosevelt who had to deal with the Great Depression and the start of World War II. All presidents have had a group of advisors known as the Cabinet. Many presidents, especially those in our early history, realized the need to stay neutral. We were developing as a country and couldn’t afford to go to war.


All of the items listed in your question became precedents.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

What is hyperbole in the story "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry?

The most obvious use of hyperbole in "The Gift of the Magi" occurs when the narrator describes Della's and Jim's evaluations of their two treasures—her long, luxuriant hair and his gold watch. Had the Queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his... The most obvious use of hyperbole in "The Gift of the Magi" occurs when the narrator describes Della's and Jim's evaluations of their two treasures—her long, luxuriant hair and his gold watch. Had the Queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him plu

What are some literary devices in Macbeth, Act V, Scene 1?

Act V, Scene i of Macbeth certainly continues the imagery that is prevalent in the play with its phantasmagoric realm, as in this scene a succession of things are seen or imagined by Lady Macbeth. Imagery - The representation of sensory experience Lady Macbeth imagines that she sees bloody spots (visual imagery) on the stairs; she also smells blood (olfactory imagery): Here's the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not... Act V, Scene i of Macbeth certainly continues the imagery that is prevalent in the play with its phantasmagoric realm, as in this scene a succession of things are seen or imagined by Lady Macbeth. Imagery - The representation of sensory experience Lady Macbeth imagines that she sees bloody spots (visual imagery) on the stairs; she also smells blood (olfactory imagery): Here's the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh! oh, oh! (5.1.53-55) Hyperbole - Obvious exaggeration  There is also h

Examine the boy’s “interior monologues,” the italicized parts of the story in "Barn Burning." What do these parts tell us about the boy,...

With the italicized sections of "Barn Burning," Faulkner is using a Modernist style of narration called perspectivism. In this style, the narrator is omniscient only in regard to one character, at least for a given part of the story where the technique is used. Thus the action of "Barn Burning" is experienced through the boy Sarty's perspective, and events are interpreted through the way he perceives them. The italicized portions of the story take us deep into Sarty's psyche and usually give words to either the conflicts he is experiencing or the hopes he has for resolving those conflicts. As the story opens and Abner Snopes appears before a Justice for burning a barn, Sarty's thoughts voice his loyalty to his father, but the intensity of their expression indicate that the loyalty requires effort on Sarty's part. As they ride away in their wagon, Sarty begins to hope: "Maybe he's done satisfied now, now that he has..." As yet he cannot