What precedent did President Washington and Congress establish regarding the executive branch? Why is the significance of this today?

George Washington set the precedent of having a set number of terms. (2) By doing so, he believed that the "American Democracy" could surpass time. Since then only one President has ever surpassed this mark. Franklin Delano Roosevelt got elected to 4 terms (dying at the start of his 4th). After he died Congress added an Amendment to the Constitution limiting all President's to 2 terms max.