Chapter 31 Search for Stability

Sec. III The Carter Presidency

• The election of 1976 was between Republican Gerald
Ford and Democrat Jimmy Carter.
• The Watergate Scandal was still fresh in Americans minds
and Ford thought he could win the election outright.
• Carter’s presidential campaign would be based around
cleaning up the government and ran as much as he could
against the memory of Nixon and corruption.
• Carter would win the 1976 election closely gaining 50.1%
of the popular vote.
• Carter was known as the, “Outsider” with no formal
experience in politics.
• He was a former governor from Georgia, and said that he
was just a peanut farmer that wanted to serve his
country.
• The people tended to respond positively to his attitude
of a down to earth President.
• To his inauguration he wore a simple business suit,
instead of a formal outfit.
• When the inauguration was over, Carter and his family
walked to the White House instead of taking the
limousine.
• Carter created an informal presidency by his
mannerisms.
• When Carter took office unemployment was high, and
the economy was in a recession.
• Carter decided to increase federal spending and reduce
taxes in an attempt to jump start the economy.
• After a while only employment got better and inflation
continued, so Carter decided to flip flop his ideas.
• By doing so this made Carter look weak and unsure of
himself.
• New to the workings of Congress Carter needed support
from democrats in Congress and received none.
• As American money flowed overseas this created a trade
deficit, or the value of foreign imports exceeded the
value of American exports.
• In April 1977 Carter presented the National Energy Plan,
which aimed at resolving the energy crisis.
• This plan would set of the department of Energy to help
coordinate energy and come up with new alternative
energies.
• In the late 1970s Americans became worries with
nuclear energy after the accident at Three Mile
Island power plant in Pennsylvania.
• Many protested to end nuclear energy, that is was to
dangerous but Carter ignored them.
• The nuclear power provided 10% of the nations
energies needs.
• President Carter based his foreign policy on Human rights, a
concern that governments provide more opportunity and
freedom to its citizens without the threat of persecution or
violence.
• He stated that any country who violated human rights would
not receive aide from the US.
• Carter would condemn numerous African countries for
violating human rights, such as South Africa for its policy of
apartheid.
• Apartheid was racial, economic and political discrimination
against non-whites.
• To ease tensions with Panama over the Panama Canal,
Carter signed two treaties with them.
• This turned the US controlled canal over to Panama in
2000, agreeing that it would remain a neutral waterway
open to all shipping.
• Some republican senators tried to block the ratification
of the treaties stating Carter was giving away US
property.
• The treaties passed the senate in 1978.
• Carter brought peace to the middle east, he invited
Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin, and Egyptian
president Anwar el-sadet to Camp David MD.
• For two weeks the three leaders worked out an
agreement known as the Camp David Accords.
• This was the first time that Israel had signed a peace
agreement with another Arab country.
• President Carter signed the second S.A.L.T II treaty with
the Soviet Union.
• Congress opposed the ratification of this treaty because
they believed it gave the USSR more power.
• All hopes of it passing ended in December 1979 when the
USSR invaded Afghanistan.
• The US and other countries refused to take part in the
Olympic games because of this action.
• In the late 70’s, Iran was one of the most powerful allies
to the US in the Persian Gulf region providing America
with oil.
• In January 1970 Islamic fundamentalists or people who
believe in strict obedience to religious laws, forced the
friendly Shah to leave Iran.
• Muslim Leader Ayatollah Khomeini took control and was
hostile toward America.
All because of this guy….
• In November 1979 Iranian students with the support of
the fundamentalists stormed the American embassy in
Tehran, the capital of Iran.
• They captured 52 hostages and the US was outraged.
• America attempted to rescue the hostages in a daring
desert rescue but it failed and ended up killing 8
American soldiers.
• The hostages would eventually be released after Carter
leaves office.