Jimmy Carter

Background A different type of leader

Went by “Jimmy” instead of James

Former peanut farmer & Gov. of Georgia

Walked through the parade route instead of riding in limo

Tried to show he wasn’t “above” others

Wouldn’t play “Hail to the Chief” upon his arrival at events

Succeeded at creating an image of a down-to-earth, honest man

Promised “I’ll never lie to you”

Domestic Policies

Domestic objective Help the nation heal Ex: pardoned thousands of American males who

avoided the draftEconomy

Inflation & unemployment were high Carted added new jobs but was unable to decrease

inflation Inflation got worse

Domestic continued

Energy Because of the oil crisis in the 1970s, Carter set goals of

decreasing our dependence on foreign oil through energy conservation, developing new energy sources (solar & wind), & loosening gov’t regulations on American oil industries

Carter created a new cabinet – Dept. of Energy He asked Americans to conserve fuel (turn down heat/air,

drive less), buy fuel efficient U.S. automakers offered incentives to meet fuel efficient

standards Taxes were reduced for those who installed energy-

saving equipment

Domestic - Environment Alaska National Interest Lands

Conservation Act Protected 100 million acres of land

& doubled the size of the national park & wildlife refugee system

3-Mile Island A nuclear power plant nearly

melted down threatening a massive release of radiation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGI7VymjSho

Love Canal, NY Long-buried chemicals began

seeping up through the ground water causing birth defects & disease from polluted ground water

http://video.pbs.org/video/2365199034/

3-Mile Island Love Canal

Foreign Policy

Human Rights *Focus of Carter’s foreign policy Despite critics of the USSR for human rights violations,

Carter & Brezhnev signed SALT II (1979) Strategic Arms Limitation Talks – limited US & USSR on

certain nuclear weapons

China Carter continued Nixon’s efforts by formally recognizing

the People’s Republic of China (communist)

Foreign Policy continued

Panama Canal Agreed to let Panama take control of the canal in 1999 To Americans, this represented a decline of American global power

Camp David Accords *Greatest foreign policy achievement After Six Day & Yom Kippur Wars, Israel occupied Egyptian territory on the

Sinai Peninsula. Egypt didn’t recognize Israel’s right to exist In 1978, Carter invited Egyptian Pres. Anwar el-Sadat & Israeli Prime

Minister Menachem Begin to Camp David Camp David Accords: agreement to resolve issues about Palestinian’s future;

negotiate peace treaties; recognize each other http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYASjRMEWeA

Iran Hostage Crisis Ayatollah Khomeini (religious

leader) led the overthrow of Iran’s Shah Shah had been supported by U.S.

After the overthrow, we allowed the Shah to come to the U.S. for cancer treatment.

A mob stormed the U.S. Embassy in Iran taking prisoners for 444 days

Carter appeared powerless (especially after a mechanical problem led to a helicopter crash that was on its way to a rescue mission)

This hurt Carter’s chance for re-election

Ex. Argo http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGUI7kDLsQo

Crisis of Confidence

Presidential election in 1980 The Iran Hostage

Crisis situation dragged on during the election

Events in Iran disrupted oil so prices in the U.S. increased, as did inflation

U.S. economy struggled

Crisis of Confidence speech: “It is a crisis that

strikes at the very heart & soul & spirit of our national will. We can see this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our lives & in the loss of a unity & purpose for our nation.”

International CrisesSoviet’s invade Afghanistan

In 1978, the USSR invaded Afghanistan because the communist gov’t was weak

Soviet experience was similar to our experience in Vietnam

To protest Soviet actions, Carter blocked grain supplies to USSR & boycotted the 1980 summer Olympics in Moscow

These two actions were unpopular at home & actually hurt the U.S. just as much

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IlRVy7oZ58

Short Answer Response:

Respond to the following using complete sentences, proper grammar, etc.

What was Carter like as a president? Include information on how his style & personality helped & hurt him (pgs 681 – 686)