Then and Now: Washington's Forewarning
Synthesize Washington’s Address with modern day politics. Would Washington approve of the state of the government today? Why or why not.
Washington would not approve of the affairs in modern politics because of the factions that politics are divided into. Political Parties, the first being Hamilton's Federalist Party and Jefferson's Democratic-Republicans, came into being during Washington's first term in office. During Washington's second term, the parties became more defined as they disagreed on what to do regarding the French Revolution. As uneasiness and conflict grew due to the differing opinions, the split became even more severe, becoming a cause of personal conflict and destruction. Washington did not miss the unity that came with people who aligned under a political party but rather he saw the conflict and detrimental effects of the parties. He feared "...sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty." and what might happen when political parties tried to seize more power and ended up hurting other political parties or resorting to unsavory means.He also thought that political parties would disrupt the checks and balances created to avoid allowing any one section of government to have complete power.
Sources:
Cradtke. “Jefferson vs Hamilton.” Smart Exchange, SMART Technologies ULC , 10 Sept. 2009.
Washington, George, 1732-1799. Washington's Farewell Address to the People of the United States and, the Constitution of the United States, with Its Amendments. Windsor [Vt.] :Published for the Washington Benevolent Society, 1812. Print.
Synthesize Washington’s Address with modern day politics. Would Washington approve of the state of the government today? Why or why not.
Washington would not approve of the affairs in modern politics because of the factions that politics are divided into. Political Parties, the first being Hamilton's Federalist Party and Jefferson's Democratic-Republicans, came into being during Washington's first term in office. During Washington's second term, the parties became more defined as they disagreed on what to do regarding the French Revolution. As uneasiness and conflict grew due to the differing opinions, the split became even more severe, becoming a cause of personal conflict and destruction. Washington did not miss the unity that came with people who aligned under a political party but rather he saw the conflict and detrimental effects of the parties. He feared "...sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty." and what might happen when political parties tried to seize more power and ended up hurting other political parties or resorting to unsavory means.He also thought that political parties would disrupt the checks and balances created to avoid allowing any one section of government to have complete power.Sources:
Cradtke. “Jefferson vs Hamilton.” Smart Exchange, SMART Technologies ULC , 10 Sept. 2009.
Washington, George, 1732-1799. Washington's Farewell Address to the People of the United States and, the Constitution of the United States, with Its Amendments. Windsor [Vt.] :Published for the Washington Benevolent Society, 1812. Print.
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