By: Anya Prasanna
Jimmy Carter, our former 39th president and Nobel Prize laureate, passed away on December 29th, 2024, surrounded by his family in Plains, Georgia. He had made many major accomplishments throughout his lifetime. Although his efforts as president were largely overshadowed by political circumstances, inflation, and foreign tensions, he had still been able to prove himself as ‘a man of the people’ (New York Times).
Jimmy Carter, whose full name was James Earl Carter Jr., was born on October 1st, 1924. His father was Earl Carter, a peanut farmer, who served on the Georgia State Legislature. His mother, Lillian Gordy Carter, was a nurse and a Peace Corps volunteer. Both of them were influential in his life and politics.
Carter studied at the George Southwestern College and Georgia Institute of Technology. Eventually, he graduated from the US Navy Academy, located in Annapolis, Maryland. Afterward, he fought in the US Navy for seven years. His career was cut short by the death of his father, and he quit his military service to work on his family’s peanut farm.
In 1962, Carter began his political career, when he was elected as governor of Georgia. He was reelected in 1964, however he lost the election in 1966. When he won the election again in 1970, Carter didn’t show any fear in making any reforms. For instance, in his Inaugural Address, he said, ‘The time for racial discrimination is over’. He pushed to end segregation and allowed African Americans and women in government offices. He combined many state programs and organizations and established budgeting methods. With these efforts, Carter was able to work to improve Georgia and begin to gain national recognition.
In 1974, Carter announced his plans to run for president as a Democrat. He was able to portray himself as a man of character, which played an essential role in the election, especially since the Watergate Scandal had challenged the integrity of the executive branch. He won the election in 1976 against Republican Gerald Ford.
As president, Carter redefined the image of the executive branch. He dressed in casual clothes and adopted an informal speech. He also tried to start many programs to promote change, however most of them were turned down by the legislature. In regards to international causes, Carter was able to promote equality and human rights, and established diplomatic ties with many countries, such as China. He was also able to stop the war between Egypt and Israel through negotiations.
In domestic affairs, Carter tried his best to help the American people. He had inherited the ongoing economic problems of our country, and this caused increased unemployment and inflation. Because of his efforts, he was able to bring about eight million jobs and a budget deficit decrease. In addition, he started a national energy policy to deal with the energy crisis, which had been caused by reliance on foreign oil. He reformed the government to focus on civil service and he tried to take measures to improve the environment. He increased the influence of the national park system to include nearly 103 million acres of Alaskan land, which were now protected. He had established the Department of Education, which oversees that schools are all on the same page in regards to educational standards, and ensures that all children can have quality education. He also strengthened the Social Security system. Along with this, Carter appointed a record-high number of women, African Americans, and Hispanics to government jobs and to his cabinet, a decision that stands by his desire for equality.
Despite his many accomplishments, Carter’s administration was widely overshadowed by inflation and failure to free captive American diplomats during the Iranian Hostage Crisis. He was defeated by Ronald Reagan in the subsequent election.
However, even after losing his presidency, Carter remained dedicated to his activism. He was able to convince Congress to pass a law to help clean up toxic waste in Alaska. He acted as a diplomat, working for human rights and equality in many areas of the world. In Nicaragua, he fought for the rights of the Indigenous people. In Panama, he investigated illegal voting measures. Carter worked with North Korea to stop the building of nuclear weapons. Furthermore, he participated in “Habitat for Humanity”, which was a program that helped build homes for the poor and he worked for peace. These efforts were the reasons why he won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Despite his numerous challenges, Jimmy Carter worked hard to change the world for the better. He had worked for equality and human rights; values that are the pillars that our nation stands on. In addition, he demonstrated political courage, never faltering in his pursuit of a vision that hosts a better, fairer, version of our country. Therefore, it cannot be denied that Carter truly was ‘a man of the people’.
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