The Guardian Precedent
George Washington’s most important act wasn’t winning the revolution. It was declining the crown. He had the army. He had the popular mandate. He had every structural incentive to consolidate power. Instead, he voluntarily constrained himself — accepted a limited presidency, served two terms, and walked away. The decision wasn’t just admirable. It was architectural. Every president who followed governed within the space Washington chose not to fill. The first generation sets the precedent. Everything after inherits from it. ...