Great presidents share a common set of qualities. They have courage, integrity, patience, and determination. Determination like Teddy Roosevelt, who knew that the Panama Canal would be good for American commerce and defense. They are speakers who deliver moving speeches and speeches that lift us and make us want to attain more achievement than we believe we are capable of, that's leadership. The main issues facing Jimmy Carter were his character, domestic policy, and foreign policy.
Character:
Carter was born on October 1, 1924 and is currently 96 years old. He was the 39th President and he served one term which was from January 20, 1977 to January 20, 1981. He was the former governor of Georgia and was involved in the Iran Hostage Crisis and the Camp David Accords. He believed that he could make Washington more transparent going into office and likewise looked down on other politicians. In addition, he had poor congressional relations which made it difficult to pass domestic reform. Jimmy Carter thought that he was smarter than anyone else and decided to opt against having a Chief of Staff. Carter can be best described as a perfectionist because he thought that if there is a task at hand, it is better that you do it yourself.
Foreign Policy:
President Jimmy Carter looked to achieve a peace agreement b/w Israel & its neighbors in 1978 through negotiations. The agreement was based on the 1967 United Nations Resolution 242, Arabs would recognize Israel in return for Israel's withdrawal from the territories it seized during the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Israeli Prime Minister Begin & Egyptian president Sadat were invited to Camp David for the Camp David Accords. The meeting was not Carter’s first attempt at making peace in the Middle East. Israel refused to accept its 1967 borders & the agreement sparked a negative reaction in the Arab world. Although the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East changed, nothing came of the peace treaty. The Iran Hostage Crisis was a time when 66 American citizens & diplomats were held hostage on November 4, 1979 by militarized Iranian students at the American Embassy in Tehran. Nonmilitary efforts had no success & during the United States attempt to rescue the hostages three helicopters broke down & 8 Americans died during an aircraft collision (April 24–25, 1980). The hostages were only released after 444 days on January 20, 1981, 30 minutes after Reagan's inauguration.
Domestic Policy:
President Jimmy Carter promised to lower down inflation rates & unemployment. At the start of the Carter Presidency, unemployment rates were 7% & annual inflation was 6.8%. By 1980, 1980, unemployment rate was over 8% & inflation rates was 12%. This meant that Carter did not fulfill his promise, which was to lower inflation rates and unemployment. The rate of inflation began to worsen during his term, causing stagflation. Stagflation means high inflation with high unemployment and when the economy growth rate decreases. President Jimmy Carter gave a broadcast address to the nation on April 25, 1980. He stated that the airborne attempt to flee the American hostages in Iran had failed. Eight crewmen were killed as two American aircrafts collided. Carter offered his condolences to the families of those who died and who were wounded and claimed responsibility for their deaths. The plan for the rescue effort began shortly after the U.S. embassy was seized, yet the president decided to delay putting it into effect. Carter was reluctant to reach a resolution to the crisis and was instead waiting for voluntary action on the part of the Iranian officials
Overall:
Carter promised big change & reform but was unable to deliver, yet he lost the faith of the American people & was an ineffective leader. The Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt did not end up establishing peace as Israel rejected Egypt’s plan to withdraw from the West Bank & Gaza. The United States dependency on foreign oil increased despite OPEC increasing prices & it resulted in gas shortages across the nation.
Sources:
1) whitehousehistory.org/bios/
2) history.state.gov/
3) billofrightsinstitute.org/
4) brookings.edu/blog/order-
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