From Peanut Farmer to President
Jimmy Carter wanted to make the government to be more responsive to Americans. He achieved many things such as creating jobs, the Department of Education, the Department of Energy, and lowering the government deficit. He also had trouble with inflation, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and the Iran Contra crisis.
The Early Years
Jimmy Carter was born to a poor peanut farmer in Georgia. He spend 7 years as a navy officer. He entered Georgia state politics in 1962, and became the Governor of Georgia in 1970. While he was governor, he focused on the environment, government efficiency and the removal of racial barriers.
1976 Election
In 1976 he ran for presidency and chose Minnesota’s Walter Mondale as his running mate. His Republican opponent was standing President Gerald Ford. He won 297 electoral votes, to Ford’s 241.
Domestic Affairs
Carter focused a lot of his time and energy on fighting inflation and unemployment. At the end of his term, he decreased the budget deficit and started nearly 8 million jobs. But, inflation and interest rates were artificially high and the lasting result was a recession.
To deal with energy crises, Carted decontrolled petrol prices to boost production. He deregulated the transportation industries of trucking and airlines. He also defended the environment by expanding the national parks system. He created the Department of Education, Department of Energy, and strengthened the Social Security system.
Foreign Affairs
His constant advocation of Human Rights angered the Soviet Union. In 1978, he achieved the Camp David peace agreement, which provided amity between Egypt and Israel. He started full diplomatic relations with China after President Nixon went to China in 1976.
He also completed the SALT II nuclear disarmament program with the Soviets. He stopped economic and military aid to El Salvador, Chile, and Nicaragua to protest their governments. There were serious problems with Carter’s term too. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan delayed the SALT II agreement, along with the Iran Contra crisis.
In 1979 President Carter gave the wildly unpopular “Crisis of Confidence” speech, essentially blaming America’s problems on the poor spirit of Americans.
The Iran Contra Crisis
In addition, the Iran Contra crisis caused serious diplomatic repercussions for American interest in the Middle East. Iranian terrorists captured 52 US embassy staff in Tehran during the last 14 months of Carter’s presidency. The failed negotiations with the Iranians, coupled with uncontrolled inflation, failed to earn Carter a second term. In 1981, the day Carter left office, the Iranians released the hostages.
Post Presidency and Impact
Jimmy Carter’s presidency was widely considered a failure because of his bad relations with Congress and the media, which massively limited his law passing and communications. It was also considered a failure because of high oil prices, uncontrollable inflation, and failure to deal with the Iran Contra Crisis. In 2004, he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in the field of human rights. He brought health care to many parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Social Studies for Fun 