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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.

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