Jimmy Carter

Question 1

How was inflation under Carter and how did he try to deal with it?

Answer 1

• Inherited stagflation (high inflation + high unemployment), which worsened during his presidency.
• Inflation rose from 5.8% (1976) to 13.5% (1980) due to oil crises and rising prices.
• 1980 Anti-Inflation Measures included reducing government spending and increasing interest rates, which were unpopular.

Question 2

What were Carter’s social and political policies?

Answer 2

• Supported civil rights but had a weak relationship with African American leaders.
• Increased the number of women and ethnic minorities in government
• Introduced public works programs to tackle unemployment but had limited success.
• Attempted to reform welfare and healthcare, but Congress blocked significant changes.
• Faced backlash for granting amnesty to Vietnam War draft dodgers.
• Indian Religious Freedom Act (1978) to protect Native American cultural practices

Question 3

What was Carter’s foreign policy approach?

Answer 3

Human Right’s focus
- Human rights were made a key aspect of US foreign policy.
- Cut aid to oppressive regimes (e.g., Argentina, Chile, Uganda).
- Pressured the USSR on human rights abuses, worsening Cold War tensions.

Question 4

How were US-Soviet Relations and the Cold War under Carter?

Answer 4

• The SALT II Treaty (1979) aimed at limiting nuclear weapons but was never ratified due to Soviet actions.
• The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (December 1979) led Carter to:
• Withdraw from SALT II negotiations.
• Impose sanctions on the USSR.
• Boycott the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
• Increase US military spending.
• Marked a shift away from détente

Question 5

What was the Carter Doctrine?

Answer 5

1980 - stated that the US would use force to protect its interests in the Persian Gulf

Question 6

What were relations like in the Middle East under Carter?

Answer 6

• Camp David Accords (1978): Brokered peace between Egypt (Sadat) and Israel (Begin).
• The Iranian Revolution (1979) overthrew the US-backed Shah; Carter allowed the Shah into the US for medical treatment.
• Iran Hostage Crisis (1979–1981)

Question 7

What happened during the Iran Hostage Crisis?

Answer 7

• 52 Americans were held hostage in Tehran for 444 days.
• Operation Eagle Claw (April 1980) failed disastrously, damaging Carter’s reputation.
• Hostages were only released on Reagan’s inauguration day (January 20, 1981).

Question 8

What was Carter’s legacy?

Answer 8

• The economy remained weak, with high inflation (13.5%) and high unemployment (7.5%).
• Foreign policy failures (Iran Hostage Crisis, Soviet invasion of Afghanistan) weakened public confidence.
• Defeated by Ronald Reagan in 1980 (Carter won only 49 electoral votes to Reagan’s 489).
• Seen as an honest but ineffective president, unable to manage both domestic and foreign crises effectively

Question 9

What were Carter’s overall successes and failings?

Answer 9

Question 10

How was unemployment under Carter?

Answer 10

• Unemployment averaged 7-8%, leading to public dissatisfaction.

Question 11

What was the energy crisis under Carter and how did he deal with it?

Answer 11

• By the later 70s, the US imported 40% of its oil
• Energy crisis (1979) led to fuel shortages and long queues at gas stations.
• Oil production in Iran dropped by 60% during the Iranian Revolution and new govt cut oil exports to the West
• Global oil prices more than doubled (from $15 per barrel to over $39 per barrel
• Created the Department of Energy (1977) and encouraged energy conservation.