George Washington's Farewell Address Essay

In September 1796, President George Washington published his Farewell Address to the people of the United States. Washington expressed his thoughts and advice on what he perceived to be the important considerations for the new American nation. He did not expect that his advice should dictate future American policies, but he hoped that Americans would be wary of the harmful impact of sectional and economic disunity, political parties, foreign influence, and the claims domestic power-seekers. Washington believed that the Constitution provided the most effective framework for the future operation of politics in America and the conduct of international relations. A large portion of President Washington’s address warned against foreign involvement.
He cautioned the people about forming permanent or long-term alliances and rivalries with foreign countries, as this would cloud judgment on foreign policy matters or potentially lead to expensive wars. He counseled that our foreign involvement should be limited to free trade, and that this should be done with as little political involvement as possible.
Washington advised the nation to avoid an overgrown military establishment. He felt a military establishment was not conducive to liberty. He also noted that self-interested divisions—sectional and economic, as well as individuals asserting their personal power—were becoming organized around political parties; He warned against the divisiveness of these situations. Washington felt that the checks and balances, separation of powers through the branches of government that our constitution established were vital to keeping a group or single individual from taking control of the nation. He advocated the use of amendments to our constitution if changes were needed instead scrapping the Constitution all together.
President Washington stated that public credit is a very important source of strength and security for our nation. He urged the nation to avoid unnecessary borrowing, that the nation’s credit be used as sparingly as possible. He did advocate national spending to prepare for war or danger, as it would be more expensive if they were not prepared. He also stated that to pay our debt there must be revenue, although taxes are never convenient.
The world has changed drastically since 1796. Among the obvious changes on the international scene are World War I, the Communist revolutions in Russia and later in China, the worldwide Depression of the 1920s and 1930s, the rise of Nazi Germany and militaristic Japan, World War II, the Cold War, and the current threat of Islamic terrorism. The first major attempted change in America’s foreign policy was at the end of WWI when President Woodrow Wilson pursued a League of Nations. However, the U.S. Senate did not approve American involvement in the League of Nations. Toward the end of WWII, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed that the United States become involved in the international situation with the goal of promoting peace and prosperity. To this end, our promotion of the United Nations was made and continues today. As the world’s only free superpower from the beginning of the Cold War (after WWII), countering the USSR the United States embarked on extensive military alliances (e.g., NATO and SETO, as well as many treaties with specific countries) and international economic involvement (e.g., the World Monetary Fund, and foreign aid to many countries). We have been in five major military actions since World War II—Korea, Vietnam, the first and second Iraq wars, and Afghanistan. Since the late 1940s we have maintained a very large and very expensive peacetime military force.
Changes have been just as great in our domestic situation: In 1790, the population was 3,929,214 of which 90% were farmers; today the population is some 308,000,000 of which less than 3% are farmers. Political parties are the status quo, with the Republican and Democratic parties being the largest. We still utilize the Constitution and the powers and rights that it established. There have been a total of twenty-seven amendments, sixteen of which have been approved after the publication of Washington’s Farewell Address.
Contrary to George Washington’s warning against government borrowing and debt, the expansion of federal government spending and debt have been dramatic. In 1931, spending was at $3.1B (surplus +0.8%), in 1961 spending was $97.7B (deficit -0.6%), in 1981 it was $678.2B (deficit -2.6%), in 2001 it was $1,862.9T (surplus +1.3%), and in 2010 spending was at $3.833.9T (deficit -8.3%). In 1947, the military budget was $52.4 B; in 2009 it was $494.3B. Federal government entitlements and/or various welfare programs have grown at an enormous rate especially since the Great Society of the mid-1960s both in terms of the number of programs and their costs. Expenditures of state governments since 1950 have also grown.
With the worldwide economic depression of the 1920-30s, deficit spending by government was used to increase employment and economic growth. With the massive deficits amassing, President Ronald Reagan pursued “supply-side” economics by which reductions in government taxing was employed to increase federal government revenues. In the late 1990’s, a balanced budget was negotiated by the Republican-controlled Congress with President Clinton. However, since that time massive deficits have resulted from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a severe economic downturn from a failed housing-loan program, and spending by the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations to stimulate the economy. The estimated federal government deficit in 2010 was estimated at $1,555.6 trillion, which is nearly 8.3% of the operating budget. The U.S. national debt has mushroomed, especially over the last 10 years. In 1800 the debt was $82.9 million, in 1960 it was $290.3 billion, in 1990 it was $3.2 trillion, in 2000 it $5.6 trillion, and in 2010 it stood at $13.5 trillion.
George Washington’s warnings were intended to protect the infant nation.
He wanted a prosperous people who were secure from foreign threat. In light of this, Washington would have recognized the adjustments that were necessary in his advice. He would have encouraged the massive immigration of the 1800s (he has surveyed land that was in his day on the western frontier); and he would have understood that the industrialization and urbanization of the 1800s produced the great wealth of America. Washington would have been saddened to witness that civil war was necessary to achieve national unity and end slavery (he had freed his slaves in his will and had provided assistance for them to develop useable
skills).
Washington’s advice against entangling foreign alliances was because of the new American nation’s weakness in the international situation. He would have recognized that non-involvement in international situations required reacting to situations—such as dealing with Japan and Germany in the 1930s—and would have favored American involvement in efforts to promote international peace and prosperity. However, Washington might believe that in recent decades the United States has gone too far in interfering in the internal affairs of other nations—Washington would be concerned with the obvious national interests of the United States.
Washington’s advice against political parties is often expressed among Americans today.
Especially in the last few years, political party divisions in Congress and with the Presidency have become harsher. Yet, though he warned against political parties, Washington recognized the natural tendency for people to organize around like interests. Without political parties it would be much harder for elected officials to get their legislation passed. They would have to focus on individual alliances, instead of first garnering support from their party. We would have representatives with wider and more diverse viewpoints rather than ones who toe the party line. And we would have even more division and
conflict.
Another area where Washington’s advice has not been adhered to, is spending and debt. He would understand that some deficit spending is needed. He would worry that we have gone too far toward this.
Though as a nation we didn’t heed all of Washington’s warnings, the changing times necessitated that we change our policies in order for our nation and people to prosper. The international situation requires our active involvement (what would the world be like if there had been no United States of America?). And the use of government to deal with modern domestic industrial, urban situations is here to stay.
George Washington stressed in his Farewell Address the need for an educated and public-minded citizenry as the basis for operating our democracy. This advice remains the best that can be given. The question is how much government to use in dealing with these problems versus how much personal, private responsibility each of us has to acquire the skills and values that develop our potential. And it is an educated, public-minded citizenry that must decide this question.

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