The Presidency of Jimmy Carter

Introduction http://www.biography.com/people/jimmy-carter-9240013/videos/jimmy-carter-mini-biography-11163203571

Background Peanut farmer from GA Governor of GA Had Chief Justice Burger use his nickname “Jimmy” during inauguration because he wanted a more informal style during presidency Had a reputation for honesty & moral integrity “I will never lie to you; I will never mislead you” Talked openly about his faith (Southern Baptist); Born-again Christian Presented himself as a Washington outsider, uncorrupted by scandal, a man of the people Good record with African-Americans and Labor Unions Election of 1976- Carter defeated Ford by narrow margin (51% to 48 %)

Domestic Policy On first day in office, gave an unconditional pardon to most Vietnam War draft-dodgers. Approval ratings were high at first.

Recession That didn’t last for long. The U.S. went into a recession during Carter’s presidency, and he had no more success handling inflation than Ford had before him. Most of our economic problems were tied to the ongoing Energy Crisis. Oil & gas prices were still incredibly high, especially after a revolution in Iran disrupted oil shipments. Carter created the Department of Energy to oversee energy issues He also encouraged Americans to honor the 55 mph speed limit their gas & fuel usage.

Three Mile Island Nuclear power plant in PA that had a reactor fail, coming close to causing a meltdown. This accident made many very apprehensive about nuclear power, slowing down our construction of other reactors. Carter’s approval ratings dropped dramatically as he struggled with the nation’s problems.

Foreign Policy Unlike Nixon’s realpolitik , Carter believed that moral principles had to guide our foreign policy, especially in areas of human rights. He did not hesitate to criticize and demand sanctions against foreign leaders who violated human rights. What are the pros & cons of letting human rights concerns shape foreign policy?

Panama Canal Treaties Carter arranged for control of the Canal to transfer to the government of Panama by the year 2000. He believed this would help build goodwill between us and Latin America and help deter the spread of communism there. Critics, like Ronald Reagan, argued that we were giving away a very profitable waterway, that was also vital to national security, to a government that was unreliable.

Afghanistan In 1979, the Soviets invaded Afghanistan to install a pro-Soviet government. It also put them dangerously close to some major oil routes. Carter responded by using the CIA to help fund the Afghan resistance. He also announced a boycott of the 1980 Olympic games (Which were scheduled to be in Moscow) Many Americans were upset about the boycott, wanting to go whip the Soviets on their own soil. They also considered Carter’s response to be weak.

Camp David Accords Carter did have one major success in foreign affairs- The Camp David Accords (1978). He invited the leaders of Egypt & Israel (Anwar Sadat & Menachem Begin) to come to the presidential retreat in MD in order to work out a peace agreement between the two rival countries. Egypt became the 1st Arab country to recognize Israel’s right to exist.

Iranian Hostage Crisis Unfortunately, Carter also faced a new crisis as his term was nearing an end- The Iranian Hostage Crisis. For years we had supported the Shah of Iran (who our CIA had helped to install) In late1979, supporters of the Ayatollah Khomeini (a religious leader who supported strict Islamic law, or sharia) drove out the Shah and helped Khomeini to seize control of the government. Carter allowed the Shah, who required treatment for cancer, to come to the U.S., despite the negative backlash this caused in Iran (Khomeini already had a ton of support from a country full of people tired of western interference)

Carter authorized a rescue attempt, but it went terribly wrong During this revolution, a group of students stormed the U.S. embassy and took 66 Americans hostage. Carter authorized a rescue attempt, but it went terribly wrong A helicopter carrying U.S. commandoes collided with a transport plane, killing 8 soldiers and causing us to abort the mission

The American public became increasingly frustrated with Carter’s inability to handle the situation and how we appeared weak in the eyes of the world.

Iraq, hoping to take advantage of the chaos in Iran, attacked in hopes of regaining some territory they had lost in a previous conflict (and to get a hold of some major oil fields). The Iran-Iraq War would last for 8 years, with us supporting Iraq.

Review Questions How did Carter try to differentiate himself from Ford/Nixon? How would you describe the U.S. economy during the Carter administration? How did the Energy Crisis continue to impact the country during the Carter years? What happened at Three Mile Island in PA? How did this impact U.S. energy policy? What decision did Carter make regarding Latin America that drew sharp criticism from many Republicans (Including Ronald Reagan)? What country did the Soviets invade in 1979? What was our response? Which 2 countries made peace as a result of the Camp David Accords? What happened in Iran soon after Ayatollah Khomeini came to power? Why has Carter often been listed among our nation’s worst presidents?