Analyzing George Washington Farewell Address- Relevance to Contemporary Governance

Analyzing George Washington Farewell Address- Relevance to Contemporary Governance

George Washington is among the great leaders who shaped the history of the United States. In 1796, he delivered a farewell speech at Congress Hall in Philadelphia. The farewell address was meant to announce George Washington’s decision not to seek another term as the president of the United States. However, other issues were addressed to clarify the rationale for deciding to leave the office. George Washington also warned leaders about what they should avoid to create a better America. The speech was delivered at Congress Hall in Philadelphia. This report will discuss whether the warnings and exhortations in the days since Washington’s presidency were followed and the items that Washington felt were of utmost importance as he left office. Determining whether the warnings and exhortations were followed is important because the speech received mixed reactions among congress members. Some members supported Washington’s arguments. On the other hand, other members felt that the arguments were unjustified. Therefore, Washington’s Farewell speech shaped the future of America and American politics even after Washington stepped down as the United States President.

George Washington’s Warnings and Exhortations

One of the warnings in George Washington’s Farewell speech was against the political risks of foreign influence, partisanship, and regionalism. Although the warning against foreign influence and regionalism was followed after Washington’s presidency, the warning on partisanship was not followed. Partisanship continues to affect the United States even today. According to Jeong & Quirk (2017), partisan conflict is severe in United States politics. The main impact of the partisan conflicts is the rise of bipartisanship in foreign policy, which emerged after the Vietnam War and the end of the Cold War (Jeong & Quirk, 2017). The United States has also been experiencing party polarization on matters concerning foreign policy since the Second World War. Party polarization is evident in the ideological differences between Democrats and Republicans. According to a report prepared by the PEW Research Center in 2014, the Democrats and Republicans are divided based on ideologies. The population of Americans who express liberal or conservative opinions has doubled since 1994 (Pew Research Center, 2014). This indicates that partisanship increased after Washington’s presidency.

George Washington also warned American citizens against the threats that could interfere with the unity of the United States. He also warned against involvement in foreign conflicts. The warning against the threats that could interfere with the unity of the United States was followed after George Washington’s presidency because the leaders who took office after Washington’s presidency emphasized protecting the prosperity and liberty of the United States. However, Reagan’s presidency did not adhere to Washington’s advice to remain neutral in foreign conflicts. He increased the United States’ involvement in the conflicts in foreign nations such as Nicaragua, Angola, and Afghanistan by funding freedom fighters who were fighting against communism in those regions. Reagan’s main focus was on preventing the expansion of communism in the world (Leffler, 2022). Putting so much focus on what was happening outside the United States increased the threat of foreign interference that could disrupt the unity in the United States.

Items Washington Felt Were of Utmost Importance

Although George Washington shared many points in his farewell speech, various points stand out because they are of utmost importance, especially for the future of the United States. One of the points is the importance of unity. Washington reminded the American citizens about the role of unity in building the American nation by stating, “You have in a common cause fought and triumphed together.” This statement aimed to convince Americans about the importance of unity and why they should continue being united even after his presidency. The second point of utmost importance in the speech was informing American citizens that being loyal to one party was the worst enemy of the government. George Washington wanted to ensure that American citizens would not be divided because of partisanship, which would impact the country’s overall development and unity. Another important item in the speech was the statement informing Americans about the dangers of getting involved in the affairs of foreign countries. He intended to convince American citizens that each nation had its interests and that supporting another nation’s interests would harm the United States’ unity.

Conclusion

George Washington’s farewell party played a significant role in shaping the politics in the United States after his presidency. The speech focused on warning American citizens against the political risks of foreign influence, partisanship, and regionalism, the threats that could interfere with unity in the United States and involvement in foreign conflicts. The warning against foreign influence and regionalism was followed after Washington’s presidency, but the warning on partisanship was not followed. The warning against the threats that could interfere with the unity of the United States was also followed, but the warning against involvement in foreign affairs was not followed. George Washington’s emphasis on the importance of unity, the need to avoid being loyal to one party, and the dangers of getting involved in the affairs of foreign countries continue to shape the ideologies of Republicans and Democrats in the American political system. Therefore, further research is required to determine whether George Washington’s warnings are currently being promoted by Democrats or Republicans and how the key points in George Washington’s farewell speech have shaped the ideologies of the two political groups.

References

Jeong, G.-H., & Quirk, P. J. (2017). Division at the water’s edge: The polarization of foreign policy. American Politics Research, 47(1), 58–87. https://doi.org/10.1177/1532673×17719721

Leffler, M. P. (2022, February 16). Ronald Reagan and the Cold War: What mattered most? Texas National Security Review. https://tnsr.org/2018/05/ronald-reagan-and-the-cold-war-what-mattered-most/

Pew Research Center. (2014, June 12). Political polarization in the American public. Pew Research Center – U.S. Politics & Policy. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2014/06/12/political-polarization-in-the-american-public/

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For this assignment, you will analyze the major points of George Washington’s “Farewell
Address” and consider the contemporary government along with the following questions:

Analyzing George Washington Farewell Address- Relevance to Contemporary Governance

Were
the warnings and exhortations followed in the days since Washington’s presidency? What items
did Washington feel were of utmost importance as he left office? Including differing points of view is
preferred and encouraged.