by Max C

Created on: July 11, 2010   Last Updated: July 12, 2010

The mere fact that a colony won it's independence from the largest superpower on Earth is in itself amazing. But possibly even more amazing is that small, new nation was able to turn around to form a lasting and stable republican government. No two people contributed to this stability more than George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Through their intelligence, loyalty, and commitment to a representative, balanced form of ruling has the United States of America been able to thrive. Thanks to the examples they set as leaders of our then-fledgling nation, America has become an extremely successful democracy.

As a famous hero of the Revolution, who defeated the Hessians and Cornwallis as well as the first President of The United States, George Washington had a lot to live up to. And in the opinion of many, he did that very well. As the Revolutionary War came to end, many urged him to use the military to take power of the government but Washington would not. Washington led by example, and his political achievements set precedents for the many Presidents to follow. Another chance for Washington to retain power would have been by continuing his Presidency for more terms. By stepping down after his second term, showed how the system could work to enable a peaceful change of power every four years, or at least a chance for the people to decide who ran the country. By allowing for this change of power to take place, Washington laid the foundation for a stable and successful government.

Thomas Jefferson too helped in maintaining a stable balance of power and setting the standard for Presidents to come. Jefferson's contributions to United States government are profound. By doubling the size of land of the U.S., he set the stage for an expansion of civilization, culture and government. He is well-known for his philosophies and policies preaching the individual rights of citizens. Even while holding the Highest Office in government, he said, "A little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical…It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government." While it may seem like Jefferson advocated anarchy, he really had the well-being of the people in mind. He was as an avid supporter of government as Washington and the rest of the founding fathers, as long as that government maintained the inalienable rights of the people.

Without the contributions to United States Government that both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson gave us, our country's success today would not be possible.  George Washington set the standard for dozens of Presidents to come, and his approach to holding public office awed and inspired generations of politicians and Americans. Thomas Jefferson never forgot to ensure that the government's number one priority is the protection of the people's rights. These two outstanding individuals laid the building blocks of democracy in the United States and guaranteed the success of our republic.

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