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Abstract

There are certain elements that have defined western and American civilization. One of these is the belief and implementation of limited government. Limited government is the practice of limiting government powers as an effort to protect individual freedoms and property. Such aspects include separation of powers, checks and balances, term limits, and even federalism. There have been many voices and people that have influenced American history and western freedoms. Among the well-known thinkers who have influenced these freedoms are Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Alexander Hamilton, but one that is often overlooked is George Washington. Washington was not a political or philosophical thinker in the same way many of his colleagues were, but he still had an influence in the realm of limited government. Out of all of the American revolutionary leaders, Washington has maintained a great and honorable reputation in the realms of limited government. Washington left very few writings behind on his political thoughts, but what he did leave behind has provided a watershed into the political mindset of the nation’s first president. His writings and example set the precedent of what the American system of limited government was to be and how it was to be implemented. His cooperation with the Supreme Court and Congress, his dedication to the American experiment, and his willingness to leave the presidency after eight years are prime examples of how he implemented his thoughts on limited government. With the example Washington set in his life, along with some of his writings, he became an important figure in the prospects of limited government and the development of western freedoms.

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