George Washington and the two-term precedent -- Sacrifice (1787-1792): the quest for a limited executive -- Decision (1793-1797): the second term and the decision to leave office -- Aftermath (1797-1951): the presidents who followed Washington and the precedent they followed -- Looking back and looking ahead.
Summary:
"While George Washington's decision not to seek a third term is often portrayed as a noble decision to restrain the power of the executive office, Yalof argues that Washington was motivated in large part by self-interest. The example he intended to set (and the circumstances he faced at the time) tell a more complicated story of the true motives behind his decision to retire and the impact his decision had on his successors and the nation.This book focuses on the two-term precedent and how it came into being not by legal prescription but by the tacit influence of Washington's refusal to run for a third term and what it suggests about American conceptions of executive power"-- Provided by the publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.