George Washington remained above partisanship, as his goal was to be a president for every United States citizen. He held the belief that political parties would play a role in dividing and ultimately destroying the young country. The United States Constitution, which George Washington helped draft in 1787 and is still the document the U.S. government operates with today, does not make any mention of political parties and did not anticipate that they would ever exist. When the Constitution was originally ratified, it declared that the second-place vote-getter in presidential elections would serve as vice president, which was a symbol of unity devoid of any partisan influence, but this changed with the ratification of the 12th Amendment in 1804. 

 

In Washington's farewell address in 1796, his views on political parties became clear: "The spirit of party serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection."

 

He believed that the United States should be able to function without the existence of political parties causing factions within the country. He also warned that one of the features that political parties would bring is the misrepresentation of the opinions and aims of other parties. Partisanship tends to lead to a misrepresentation of facts in pursuit of achieving what the leaders of a particular party desire. 

 

Washington acknowledged that the rise of political partisans would be inevitable. However, it is important to not allow partisans to threaten national unity for the sake of political gain. Washington did not fear there would be one tyrant who destroys the country, but rather that the citizens of the U.S. would become tyrants against each other every election cycle until a point where the country only wants despotism. He warned that factions may try to dominate one another through the spirit of political revenge, which leads to political parties trying to dominate control of the country without acknowledging the needs and desires of every U.S. citizen. 

 

Washington's desire as he left office was that his words may serve as a warning to future generations about the dangers of political divisions within the country that would cause the hyper-partisanship and factionalism that is seen today: "The common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it." Washington demonstrated his disdain for political power grabs by choosing to only serve two terms as president, which was not yet mandated by the Constitution. 

 

It was not a single political party that Washington feared or condemned but rather the party system itself that would lead to the competition for power. Washington would likely view today's party system in the U.S. as his fears becoming true, with people in power being motivated not by principle but rather by remaining in power.