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president, and all future presidents (with one exception—Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was elected to four terms in office) would follow this example. In fact, Washington had wanted to serve only one term but reluctantly agreed to serve an additional four years. He was so popular that it seems certain he could have been elected president for life had he so chosen. The Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution (ratified in 1951) limited future presidents to two terms. Washington set an example that other presidents would follow of traveling around the country so that people throughout the United States could have an oppor- tunity to see their leader and so that he would be familiar with various states and their differing needs. Washington assumed that the president would be actively involved in shaping foreign and domestic policy, and his assertive attitude toward both ensured that future presidents would clearly be at the head of government policymaking.

After his inauguration, George Washington stepped out on to the balcony to greet the people of the United States.

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The Presidency