Presidential Highs and Lows: Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter was elected as a Washington outsider. Americans had their trust in their leadership shattered with the disclosures of Richard Nixon's alarming behavior. They thought at first that Gerald Ford would restore honesty and integrity into the White House, but when Ford issued a full pardon to Nixon a month into his presidency, many began to distrust Ford as well. Ford almost overcame this perception, to come back from a 33% deficit in the polls, but on election day of 1976, a majority of voters opted to mark their X for the former Georgia governor.
Carter was inaugurated on January 20, 1977 and immediately sought to establish himself as a man of the people. After the inauguration, Carter and his wife Rosalynn walked to the Capitol, keeping with his pledge to eliminate the trappings of the "Imperial Presidency". He immediately reduced the size of the White House Staff by one-third, he cancelled government-funded chauffeuring for Cabinet members, and he also put the USS Sequoia, the presidential yacht, up for sale. He also fulfilled a campaign promise by issuing an executive order declaring unconditional amnesty for Vietnam War-era draft evaders. Carter styled himself as the consummate Washington outsider, not one of the DC elite. At first this was warmly received by the public, and in March of 1977, Carter's approval rating reached its highest on March 15, 1977, less than two months into his term, as many Americans believed that a change had taken place in politics as usual. Gallup measured his approval rating at 74%.
While distancing himself from Congress resulted in initial popularity, it was not a wise strategy in the long run. After the election, Carter and his team decided to reorganize the executive branch. In attempting to place more power within the White House, Carter offended many powerful Democrats like Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill. During the Nixon administration, Congress had passed a series of reforms that removed power from the president, and most members of Congress were unwilling to restore that power, even with a Democrat now in office. Carter's White House Staff snubbed a number of Congressional Democrats by failing to return phone calls, engaging in verbal insults, and in their unwillingness to trade political favors. The Democrats in Congress knew that the President needed their support, and their dislike of Carter's staff adversely affected Carter's ability to enact his agenda.
A few months into his term, Carter created a list of 19 projects that he termed as "pork barrel" spending. He said that he would veto any legislation that contained projects on this list. In response, Congress passed a bill that combined several of the projects that Carter objected to, joined with economic stimulus measures that Carter favored. Carter chose to sign the bill, but his criticism of the alleged "pork barrel" projects cost him support in Congress. This was the beginning of a a pattern in which Carter would frequently clash with Congress for the remainder of his tenure.
Carter's re-election prospects were deterred by a number of challenges and crises that he had to confront. These included an energy crisis, a severe recession that saw inflation and interest rates rise tremendously, and a hostage crisis that greatly diminished American prestige. On April 18, 1977, Carter delivered a televised speech declaring that the nation was facing an energy crisis. He encouraged energy conservation by all U.S. citizens and tried to lead by example by having solar water heating panels installed on the White House. He wore sweaters while turning down the heat in the White House. On August 4, 1977, he created the Department of Energy, the first new cabinet position in eleven years. He once again clashed with Congress over passage of an energy reform bill. In April of 1978, he said "I never dreamed a year ago in April when I proposed this matter to the Congress that a year later it still would not be resolved." On March 1, 1979, Carter submitted a gasoline rationing plan. On July 15, 1979, Carter delivered a nationally televised address in which he identified what he believed to be a "crisis of confidence" among the American people. The speech would become known as Carter's "malaise" speech. It was negatively received and Carter was perceived by many as too ineffective to confront the nation's energy crisis.
The first two year's of Carter's presidency were a time of recovery from the severe 1973–75 recession, which had seen unemployment rise to 9%. But the last two years of his presidency saw double-digit inflation, coupled with very high interest rates, oil shortages, and slow economic growth. There had been a period of growth in 1977 and 1978 that saw the creation of million net new jobs and in which median household income growth by 5%. The 1979 energy crisis ended this period of growth, however, and as both inflation and interest rates rose, economic growth, job creation, and consumer confidence declined sharply. In June of 1979, Carrter's approval rating plummeted to 28%, and it would remain low for most of the remainder of the year. The loose monetary policy adopted by Federal Reserve Board Chairman G. William Miller, had resulted in higher inflation, increasing from 5.8% in 1976 to 7.7% in 1978. The sudden doubling of crude oil prices by OPEC, the world's leading oil exporting cartel, forced inflation to double-digit levels, averaging 11.3% in 1979 and 13.5% in 1980. A sudden shortage of gasoline was noticeable as the 1979 summer vacation season began.
At the same time, Carter was trying to make good on a presidential campaign proposal for healthcare reform, similar to legislation proposed by Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy. Carter's June 1979 proposal failed to meet with what Kennedy wanted, and he was unable to bring about any sort of healthcare law. Carter would later blame Kennedy for having thwarted Carter's efforts to provide a comprehensive health-care system for the country.
On November 4, 1979 a group of Iranian students, belonging to the Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line, took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Fifty-two American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for the next 444 days until January 20, 1981. During the crisis, Carter remained in isolation in the White House for more than 100 days. Many Americans were disappointed by Carter's ability to bring about the return of the hostages. On April 7, 1980, Carter issued Executive Order 12205, imposing economic sanctions against Iran. On April 24, 1980, Carter ordered Operation Eagle Claw to try free the hostages, but the mission failed, leaving eight American servicemen dead and two aircraft destroyed.
Another crisis brewing in late 1979 was the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, an action perceived to be detrimental to American interests. In a televised speech, Carter announced sanctions on the Soviet Union. He imposed an embargo on grain shipments to the USSR, and requested a 5% annual increase in defense spending.Carter also called for a boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. In early 1980, Carter initiated a program to arm the Afghan resistance movement known as the Mujahideen. The Soviets were unable to quell the insurgency. But the decision to route U.S. aid through Pakistan led to massive fraud, as weapons sent to Karachi were frequently sold on the local market rather than delivered to the Afghan rebels. Of the seven mujahideen groups supported, four espoused Islamic fundamentalist beliefs and these fundamentalists received most of the funding.
The confluence of these many problems caused many Americans to question Carter's leadership abilities. As the 1980 presidential election approached, Carter faced mounting opposition, even from within his own party. Senator Ted Kennedy declared his candidacy against Carter in the 1980 Democratic primaries but could not generate enough support for to take the Democratic Party nomination from the President. The Republicans nominated Ronald Reagan, who was seen by many as the hawk that the times required. Carter had alienated many key Democratic constituencies, including labor unions and Catholics, and Reagan also successfully appealed to evangelicals, many of whom had supported Carter's 1976 candidacy. Polling remained close throughout September and October, but Reagan's performance in the October 28 debate and Carter's failure to win the release of the Iranian hostages gave Reagan the momentum entering election day. Reagan won 50.7 percent of the popular vote and 489 electoral votes. Carter won 41 percent of the popular vote and 49 electoral votes. Republicans also won control of the Senate for the first time since 1952.
Carter left office, considered by many to have been a failure as president. To be fair however, few presidents have ever as many challenges in one term. This perception increased as interest rates dropped and as the Iran Hostages were released after Reagan was inaugurated. In retirement, Carter has been praised for his many humanitarian projects and for his social activism. It is somewhat ironic that, while many historians rank his presidency as among the least successful, he is also considered as one of the most successful and active of any retired president.
Carter was inaugurated on January 20, 1977 and immediately sought to establish himself as a man of the people. After the inauguration, Carter and his wife Rosalynn walked to the Capitol, keeping with his pledge to eliminate the trappings of the "Imperial Presidency". He immediately reduced the size of the White House Staff by one-third, he cancelled government-funded chauffeuring for Cabinet members, and he also put the USS Sequoia, the presidential yacht, up for sale. He also fulfilled a campaign promise by issuing an executive order declaring unconditional amnesty for Vietnam War-era draft evaders. Carter styled himself as the consummate Washington outsider, not one of the DC elite. At first this was warmly received by the public, and in March of 1977, Carter's approval rating reached its highest on March 15, 1977, less than two months into his term, as many Americans believed that a change had taken place in politics as usual. Gallup measured his approval rating at 74%.
While distancing himself from Congress resulted in initial popularity, it was not a wise strategy in the long run. After the election, Carter and his team decided to reorganize the executive branch. In attempting to place more power within the White House, Carter offended many powerful Democrats like Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill. During the Nixon administration, Congress had passed a series of reforms that removed power from the president, and most members of Congress were unwilling to restore that power, even with a Democrat now in office. Carter's White House Staff snubbed a number of Congressional Democrats by failing to return phone calls, engaging in verbal insults, and in their unwillingness to trade political favors. The Democrats in Congress knew that the President needed their support, and their dislike of Carter's staff adversely affected Carter's ability to enact his agenda.
A few months into his term, Carter created a list of 19 projects that he termed as "pork barrel" spending. He said that he would veto any legislation that contained projects on this list. In response, Congress passed a bill that combined several of the projects that Carter objected to, joined with economic stimulus measures that Carter favored. Carter chose to sign the bill, but his criticism of the alleged "pork barrel" projects cost him support in Congress. This was the beginning of a a pattern in which Carter would frequently clash with Congress for the remainder of his tenure.
Carter's re-election prospects were deterred by a number of challenges and crises that he had to confront. These included an energy crisis, a severe recession that saw inflation and interest rates rise tremendously, and a hostage crisis that greatly diminished American prestige. On April 18, 1977, Carter delivered a televised speech declaring that the nation was facing an energy crisis. He encouraged energy conservation by all U.S. citizens and tried to lead by example by having solar water heating panels installed on the White House. He wore sweaters while turning down the heat in the White House. On August 4, 1977, he created the Department of Energy, the first new cabinet position in eleven years. He once again clashed with Congress over passage of an energy reform bill. In April of 1978, he said "I never dreamed a year ago in April when I proposed this matter to the Congress that a year later it still would not be resolved." On March 1, 1979, Carter submitted a gasoline rationing plan. On July 15, 1979, Carter delivered a nationally televised address in which he identified what he believed to be a "crisis of confidence" among the American people. The speech would become known as Carter's "malaise" speech. It was negatively received and Carter was perceived by many as too ineffective to confront the nation's energy crisis.
The first two year's of Carter's presidency were a time of recovery from the severe 1973–75 recession, which had seen unemployment rise to 9%. But the last two years of his presidency saw double-digit inflation, coupled with very high interest rates, oil shortages, and slow economic growth. There had been a period of growth in 1977 and 1978 that saw the creation of million net new jobs and in which median household income growth by 5%. The 1979 energy crisis ended this period of growth, however, and as both inflation and interest rates rose, economic growth, job creation, and consumer confidence declined sharply. In June of 1979, Carrter's approval rating plummeted to 28%, and it would remain low for most of the remainder of the year. The loose monetary policy adopted by Federal Reserve Board Chairman G. William Miller, had resulted in higher inflation, increasing from 5.8% in 1976 to 7.7% in 1978. The sudden doubling of crude oil prices by OPEC, the world's leading oil exporting cartel, forced inflation to double-digit levels, averaging 11.3% in 1979 and 13.5% in 1980. A sudden shortage of gasoline was noticeable as the 1979 summer vacation season began.
At the same time, Carter was trying to make good on a presidential campaign proposal for healthcare reform, similar to legislation proposed by Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy. Carter's June 1979 proposal failed to meet with what Kennedy wanted, and he was unable to bring about any sort of healthcare law. Carter would later blame Kennedy for having thwarted Carter's efforts to provide a comprehensive health-care system for the country.
On November 4, 1979 a group of Iranian students, belonging to the Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line, took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Fifty-two American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for the next 444 days until January 20, 1981. During the crisis, Carter remained in isolation in the White House for more than 100 days. Many Americans were disappointed by Carter's ability to bring about the return of the hostages. On April 7, 1980, Carter issued Executive Order 12205, imposing economic sanctions against Iran. On April 24, 1980, Carter ordered Operation Eagle Claw to try free the hostages, but the mission failed, leaving eight American servicemen dead and two aircraft destroyed.
Another crisis brewing in late 1979 was the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, an action perceived to be detrimental to American interests. In a televised speech, Carter announced sanctions on the Soviet Union. He imposed an embargo on grain shipments to the USSR, and requested a 5% annual increase in defense spending.Carter also called for a boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. In early 1980, Carter initiated a program to arm the Afghan resistance movement known as the Mujahideen. The Soviets were unable to quell the insurgency. But the decision to route U.S. aid through Pakistan led to massive fraud, as weapons sent to Karachi were frequently sold on the local market rather than delivered to the Afghan rebels. Of the seven mujahideen groups supported, four espoused Islamic fundamentalist beliefs and these fundamentalists received most of the funding.
The confluence of these many problems caused many Americans to question Carter's leadership abilities. As the 1980 presidential election approached, Carter faced mounting opposition, even from within his own party. Senator Ted Kennedy declared his candidacy against Carter in the 1980 Democratic primaries but could not generate enough support for to take the Democratic Party nomination from the President. The Republicans nominated Ronald Reagan, who was seen by many as the hawk that the times required. Carter had alienated many key Democratic constituencies, including labor unions and Catholics, and Reagan also successfully appealed to evangelicals, many of whom had supported Carter's 1976 candidacy. Polling remained close throughout September and October, but Reagan's performance in the October 28 debate and Carter's failure to win the release of the Iranian hostages gave Reagan the momentum entering election day. Reagan won 50.7 percent of the popular vote and 489 electoral votes. Carter won 41 percent of the popular vote and 49 electoral votes. Republicans also won control of the Senate for the first time since 1952.
Carter left office, considered by many to have been a failure as president. To be fair however, few presidents have ever as many challenges in one term. This perception increased as interest rates dropped and as the Iran Hostages were released after Reagan was inaugurated. In retirement, Carter has been praised for his many humanitarian projects and for his social activism. It is somewhat ironic that, while many historians rank his presidency as among the least successful, he is also considered as one of the most successful and active of any retired president.