Final answer:
George Washington's careful use of presidential power, focus on public virtue, and nation-building efforts paradoxically increased his power as it built trust and patriotism among the people, setting a standard for presidential authority.
Step-by-step explanation:
George Washington's aversion to abusing power paradoxically increased his authority. The trust he cultivated as a leader was pivotal in solidifying his power, as his restraint from autocratic tendencies reassured citizens and fellow politicians alike that he valued the republic's principles over personal ambition. Washington's public virtue and cautious exercise of executive power conveyed a sense of safety in the face of historical fears of corruption recognized by the Founding Fathers.
Washington's conscious effort to balance establishing respectability with deflecting monarchial concerns, and his focus on nation-building through internal improvements and national institutions, further engendered patriotism and unity. His leadership style set a standard for the engagement of presidential powers, which in subsequent years would oscillate between reticence and forcefulness, shaped by the shifts in how presidents interpreted and adapted the scope of their authority.