Jimmy Carter: Life And Legacy Of The 39th US President – Analysis

The death of Jimmy Carter on December 29, 2024, marked the passing of the 39th President of the United States, who served from 1977 to 1981 during a pivotal period in the mid-Cold War and a time of societal changes in America.

Carter was the only U.S. president to reach the age of 100 and the longest-living former president, with a remarkable 44 years of post-presidency. Although he served only one term, his tenure was marked by significant domestic and foreign policy events and processes that he directly or indirectly shaped. This ensures Carter’s place as an important figure in the history of the U.S. and the world. Moreover, his tireless post-presidency work—founding the Carter Center in 1982 to promote human rights, reduce suffering, and advance peace worldwide—cemented his legacy. For his post-presidency efforts, Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Considering his modest beginnings as the son of a rural working-class family in the American South, few could have predicted Carter’s extraordinary life achievements.

Childhood and Youth

James Earl Carter Jr., officially known as Jimmy Carter, was born on October 1, 1924, in Plains, a small town in rural Georgia in the southeastern United States. He was the oldest of four children born to farmer James Earl Carter Sr. and nurse Lillian Gordy Carter. Raised in modest circumstances, Carter was exposed from an early age to the social injustices of the American South: racial segregation and the inequalities between the rich and the poor.

Carter’s childhood was steeped in life on the family peanut farm. Growing up in a hardworking environment among ordinary Americans shaped his strong work ethic and sensitivity to the struggles of everyday people. In addition to pursuing his education, Carter assisted his parents on the farm. His mother encouraged his education, while his conservative father emphasized discipline and responsibility. Although racial barriers were deeply entrenched in Georgia society, Carter’s family rose above white-black divisions. His mother was known for providing medical care to Black families and openly expressed sympathy for the fight for equality. Although his father supported segregation, he allowed young Jimmy to interact with Black children. These experiences with racial segregation would later inspire Carter to reflect on human rights and justice.

Carter attended local schools in Plains, where he excelled academically, particularly in history and science. His dedication to learning and humility made him a model student. After finishing high school, he applied to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where he was accepted in 1943. The academy was rigorous, but Carter quickly adapted. He graduated in 1946 as one of the top students. During his studies, he developed an interest in engineering and technology. While at Annapolis, he met Rosalynn Smith, his future wife, also from Plains, who would play a key role in his political career. Upon graduation, Carter began his service in the U.S. Navy, working on nuclear energy development for submarines under Admiral Hyman Rickover’s leadership. Although he seemed destined for a bright future in naval science, his father’s sudden death in 1953 forced Carter to leave the Navy and take over the family peanut farm in Plains.

Entry into Politics

Carter inherited a farm saddled with debt. Despite his naval expertise, transitioning to agriculture was challenging, but he and his wife managed to succeed. Despite financial struggles, droughts, and inexperience, the Carters transformed the family business into a thriving enterprise by the 1950s. Living in Georgia, a state fraught with racial tensions, pushed Carter into an unexpected political career.

As a dedicated member of the Democratic Party, he advocated for the abolition of racial segregation, the fight against corruption, and electoral reform. These progressive views led to his election to the Georgia Senate in 1962, where he was re-elected two years later. Such positions were unusual for a white Southern Democrat, but voters recognized his commitment. Although he ran for governor of Georgia in 1966, he lost. Disheartened by the defeat, Carter found solace in Christianity. He became an even stronger proponent of Christian values, opposing racial segregation and social inequality while championing justice.

Governor of Georgia and Presidential Campaign

In 1970, Carter won the gubernatorial race and served as governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975. Although he was initially reserved on segregation during his campaign, he declared it a thing of the past upon taking office. He appointed women and African Americans to government positions and introduced numerous reforms.

Carter modernized the state administration, reduced bureaucracy, and increased efficiency, focusing on education and environmental protection. After completing his governorship, Carter made a bold decision to run for president. Though a radical move, he believed he had the necessary skills—and he was right. Successfully balancing progressive ideas with pragmatic solutions, he appealed to a broad base of voters. Moreover, Americans were weary of familiar faces.

The Watergate scandal exposed the corruption of Washington’s political elite. President Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 due to illegal wiretapping, and public trust in politicians was at a historic low. Carter, as a young, untainted, and moral politician from the South, was a refreshing contrast to the worn-out Washington establishment. During his campaign, he adopted a grassroots approach, visiting nearly every state and engaging directly with voters. Though an outsider to the establishment, his messages of trust, integrity, and the return of ethics to politics won over the electorate. In November 1976, with Walter Mondale as his vice-presidential candidate, he narrowly defeated Republican President Gerald Ford. Carter became the first Southern president since the Civil War openly opposed to racial segregation.

Presidency

Jimmy Carter’s tenure as the 39th President of the United States was characterized by ambitious domestic reforms, foreign policy successes and setbacks, and conflicts with Congress and the public. Adopting an informal style of dress and speech, he frequently held press conferences and reduced the pomp of the Oval Office. Early in his term, he introduced a series of ambitious programs for healthcare, education, administrative, and economic reform. However, most of these proposals faced opposition in Congress, despite the Democratic Party holding a majority in both the House and the Senate.

At first glance, such resistance seems paradoxical, but it can be understood in the context of the time. Congress, after the Vietnam War and Nixon’s Watergate scandal, had become highly skeptical of presidents and often blocked their legislation. In the U.S., a president without Congress can achieve little. Carter grew frustrated and disappointed by the betrayal of his party colleagues, whom he publicly criticized. High hopes and unmet expectations due to unimplemented reforms had already lowered his approval ratings by 1978. In hindsight, it can be argued that Democratic congressmen shot themselves in the foot, as Republican Ronald Reagan came to power in 1981, followed later by George H. W. Bush. Carter’s reputation was further damaged by scandals involving members of his administration, such as accusations that his brother was a lobbyist for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi—allegations later proven false.

Domestic Policy

Carter inherited an economy plagued by inflation, stagnant economic growth, and rising unemployment: a state of stagflation. Inflation rose from 6% in 1976 to over 12% by 1980, unemployment remained high at 7.5%, and volatile interest rates reached a staggering 20% during 1980. The 1979 oil crisis, following the Iranian Revolution, further worsened the economic situation, leading to soaring energy prices and growing public dissatisfaction.

Business leaders and the general public blamed Carter for the nation’s economic woes. However, it was Congress, not the president, that bore the blame. Distrusting major oil corporations, Carter established the Department of Energy in 1977 and proposed a National Energy Plan that included a tax on oil, conservation measures, and the use of alternative energy sources. The Senate rejected the proposal. Carter also founded the Department of Education.

Foreign Policy

Human rights were at the heart of Jimmy Carter’s foreign policy. His administration openly criticized authoritarian regimes in Latin America, Africa, and Asia for human rights violations, even when these regimes were U.S. allies. While the human rights-first policy earned praise from international activists, it caused tensions with some traditional U.S. allies. In 1977, Carter signed treaties with Panama to transfer control of the Panama Canal to Panama by 1999 while guaranteeing the canal’s neutrality.

One of Carter’s most significant foreign policy achievements was the 1979 peace agreement between Egypt and Israel, known as the Camp David Accords. Carter personally mediated between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, organizing peace talks at the presidential retreat of Camp David. The agreements resulted in formal peace between the two countries and Israel’s withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula. On January 1, 1979, Carter established full diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China while simultaneously severing official ties with Taiwan—a recognition of reality.

For much of his presidency, Carter sought to improve relations with the Soviet Union. In Vienna, in June 1979, he and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev signed the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT II). However, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in late 1979 ended these efforts. In January 1980, Carter withdrew SALT II from Senate ratification. In response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Carter introduced the Carter Doctrine in January 1980: imposing sanctions on the Soviet Union (a grain export ban), boycotting the 1980 Moscow Olympics, and increasing military and CIA spending (Operation Cyclone).

One of the most challenging moments of Carter’s presidency was the Iran hostage crisis. Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iranian students seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took 52 American citizens hostage, later supported by the Iranian Shia authorities led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The crisis lasted 444 days, and Carter’s inability to swiftly resolve the situation severely damaged his political reputation. A military operation to free the hostages, known as Operation Eagle Claw, ended in failure. Ultimately, the Iran hostage crisis marked the end of Carter’s administration.

Electoral Defeat and Post-Presidency

In 1980, Carter faced a challenge within his own Democratic Party when Senator Ted Kennedy attempted to contest his nomination for a second term. Although Carter secured the Democratic nomination, he faced an ambitious Republican challenger, Ronald Reagan, in the presidential race. Carter lost decisively, with Reagan winning 489 electoral votes to Carter’s 49.

However, Carter did not retire from politics in January 1981. On the contrary, he became more active as a global citizen. In 1982, he founded the Carter Center in Atlanta, focusing on humanitarian work, promoting peace, human rights, education, and combating disease. Carter became renowned for his mediation efforts in international crises, helping resolve conflicts in Kenya, Sierra Leone, the Holy Land, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In the 1990s, he played a role in reducing tensions between the U.S. and North Korea. He also acted as a diplomat in resolving various conflicts in Panama, Nicaragua, Ethiopia, and Haiti. For his efforts, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Carter authored 32 books outlining his vision for a fairer world.

Carter and Biden’s Friendship

“America and the world, in my opinion, have lost an extraordinary leader… He was a statesman and humanitarian. And Jill (Biden’s wife, editor’s note) and I have lost a dear friend,” said Joe Biden hours after Carter’s death. Biden delivered a eulogy at Carter’s funeral on January 9, where their decades-long friendship was once again evident. Carter had previously requested that Biden deliver his eulogy. In his speech, Biden stated that his friendship with Carter taught him “that strength of character transcends titles or power we possess. It’s the strength of understanding that everyone must be treated with dignity and respect. That everyone—and I mean absolutely everyone—deserves a fair shot. Not a guarantee, but a chance.”

The friendship between the two politicians began when Biden, a young senator from Delaware, became the first senator to endorse Carter’s outsider candidacy for the White House in 1976. At the time, Biden was serving his first term in the Senate and had not yet become the powerful figure he would later become. Instead of aligning with influential Democratic colleagues in the Senate, he chose to support Carter and campaigned for him across the U.S. during the primaries. The two politicians shared many similarities. Both were moderate on fiscal and social issues and opponents of racial segregation.

Both openly spoke about their faith—Biden as a Roman Catholic and Carter as an evangelical Baptist. Despite occasional disagreements, Biden supported Carter during the 1980 Democratic primaries against Senator Ted Kennedy. Carter supported Biden in his bids for the presidency in 1988 and 2008, albeit not very publicly. When Biden ran for president a third time in 2019, Carter remarked, “I hope there’s an age limit. If I were 15 years younger, I don’t think I could handle the duties I had while I was president.” Nevertheless, he supported Biden at the 2020 Democratic National Convention (DNC).

Both Carter and Biden endured four challenging years in the Oval Office before being forced to leave in ways they did not desire. Carter suffered a heavy defeat to Ronald Reagan, while Biden had to forego reelection due to poor health. Both lost to above-average Republican candidates—Reagan and Donald Trump. However, it is undeniable that Carter will have a better place in history as a president due to his 44 years of post-presidency, during which he enhanced his reputation. As a global citizen, Carter promoted peace and democracy worldwide through the Carter Center in over 100 elections across 40 countries. Biden will not have such a post-presidency due to his advanced age. Carter’s legacy is noble, though difficult to achieve in the harsh realities of 21st-century global politics.