High Expectations For Carter example essay topic

494 words
James Earl Carter Jr., or Jimmy Carter was a democrat elected president of the United States in 1977. His term lasted until 1981. He was a good president in my opinion. He did many good things during his time as president. There were high expectations for Carter.

Inflation and interest rates were at a near record high, and a short recession was caused by efforts to reduce them. Carter asked businesses to avoid big price increases and labor leaders to hold down wage demands to fight inflation. Unfortunately this had little effect on it. A national energy program was another attempt to fight inflation. It was created to reduce United States oil imports. The legislation included tax penalties for owners of automobiles that used excessive amounts of gasoline.

Despite this legislation, oil imports remained high and inflation grew worse. Due to high inflation and gasoline shortages there was a sharp drop in Carter's performance rating in public opinion polls. Carter had many achievements in foreign affairs. He was a huge supporter of human rights In the Soviet Union and other nations.

He banned or limited United States aid and exports to some nations whose governments he believed were violating human rights. He also brought a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. Carter achieved a major foreign policy goal in 1978. Two treaties were ratified by the U.S. Senate concerning the Panama Canal. One gave Panama control of the canal on December 31, 1999 and the other gave the United States the right to defend the canal's neutrality. Carter's achievements included helping to bring peace between Egypt and Israel, making a treaty to give Panama control of the Panama Canal, reaching an arms control agreement with the Soviet's, and securing the release of the United States hostages from the embassy in Iran.

Many do not believe Carter was a good president because of inflation and a congress that couldn't come to an agreement with him on energy conservation and alternative energy policies. It was unfair to put the blame on Carter because he became president at a very difficult time for the United States. Since leaving office, Carter has gained a reputation as a tireless champion for social justice. In 1984 he began his involvement in Habitat for Humanity International when he led a work group to New York City to help renovate a six-story building with 19 families in need of decent, affordable shelter.

That experience started it all and the Jimmy Carter Work Project has been an internationally recognized event of Habitat for Humanity ever since. Carter did many good things for this country as president even though inflation and interest rates were high. He tried his hardest to fix the major problems and used many of his ideas even though some did not work out.