A Third Term for Washington

Jasen777

Donor
George Washington bows to pressure and decides to run for a third term, which he wins easily. How does his term* differ from Adam's term? Can he keep a lid on party politics? How does this precedent change things later on?

* - Given how he died in OTL, it's entirely possible he could live through the term.
 

Jasen777

Donor
He died though after being in a storm of of pneumonia (or they treatment he received for it) - that event is unlikely to happen. Doesn't guarantee he'll live longer, but it's possible, perhaps even likely, that he will.
 
The key change seems to me that he changes the 'no third term tradition'.

I think that it might then even become expected that a President serves until he died or lost an election.
 
The key change seems to me that he changes the 'no third term tradition'.

I think that it might then even become expected that a President serves until he died or lost an election.


To me it's just that that is more greatly impacted. Which presidents do you see taking most advantage of that. Andrew Jackson 3 terms? More Teddy Roosevelt? Just those two alone continuing in office have great implications.
 
To me it's just that that is more greatly impacted. Which presidents do you see taking most advantage of that. Andrew Jackson 3 terms? More Teddy Roosevelt? Just those two alone continuing in office have great implications.

A 3 term or President "for life" tradition may mean that AJ never becomes President; the butterflies involved here may mean that none of the OTL men who have served as POTUS since the mid 19th Century would rise to the office.
 
A 3 term or President "for life" tradition may mean that AJ never becomes President; the butterflies involved here may mean that none of the OTL men who have served as POTUS since the mid 19th Century would rise to the office.

Indeed, the ramifications of Washington serving Adams' term are far reaching and begin before concerns about the 2 term tradition. [Though, I'd add, that tradition is certainly important in the long run. The biggest difference IMO is whether Washington gets a chance to voluntarily give up power or whether he dies in office.]

Washington deciding to serve a third term probably needs an outside POD. Such a POD may involve the Jay Treaty, in which case there's a threat of war with Great Britain.

Washington deciding to run again (without considering the idea that Washington would probably not be inclined to do so unless the circumstances of 1796 are somewhat different) may confront Thomas Jefferson with a bigger choice about whether he will return to politics. If Washington runs again, John Adams might fail to get enough votes to be Washington's VP. However, TJ might also decide to pursue other means of confronting Hamilton and the Federalists, perhaps by running for the Senate or House. This is huge because changing the nature of the Federalist / Democratic-Republican face off will hugely impact how American politics works -- you could very easily end up with the Presidency begin gradually undermined in one fashion or another (remember, all of this predates Clay's committee system).

Furthermore, Washington might very well take different actions vis-a-vis the Quasi War (or be forced to be different events). The US relationship with GB may already be substantially altered. This will have big impacts because it may set the stage for very different conflicts later on.
 
Anything that changes the presidency through Jefferson and Madison can have a huge effect, even if a two term tradition is established later. Consider the Louisiana Purchase and War of 1812.
 
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