Jimmy Carter

From ePedia, the electronic encyclopedia
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. (born October 1, 1924) an American politician, was the 39th President of the United States (1977–1981) and the Nobel Peace laureate in 2002. Previously, he had been a member of local boards for seven years, a state senator from Georgia (1963-1967), the chairman of the DNC Congressional and Gubernatorial Campaigns (1974), the Governor of Georgia (1971-1975), a naval officer, and peanut farmer. Some of his major accomplishments included the creation of a national energy policy and the consolidation of governmental agencies. He enacted strong environmental legislation; deregulated the trucking, airline, rail, finance, communications, and oil industries, bolstered the social security system; and appointed record numbers of women and minorities to significant government and judicial posts. In foreign affairs, Carter's accomplishments included the Camp David Accords, the Panama Canal Treaties, the creation of full diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, and the negotiation of the SALT II Treaty. In addition, he championed human rights throughout the world and used human rights as the center of his administration's foreign policy.

The Iranian hostage crisis was one of the contributors to his failure to win a second term. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan further weakened American prestige. Carter faced interest rates reaching their highest levels since World War II, and the administration froze domestic oil prices in response to rising prices from OPEC. The "Misery Index," his favored measure of economic well-being, rose 50% in four years. Despite his own party's control of Congress, his administration was unable to reform the tax system or to implement a national health plan, as he had promised during the 1976 campaign.

In the decades since he left office, Carter has been seen by some people as an elder statesman and international mediator, and has used his prestige as a former president to further many charitable causes. He founded the Carter Center as a forum for issues related to democracy and human rights. He has also traveled extensively to monitor elections, conduct peace negotiations, and establish relief efforts. In 2002, Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize for his "efforts to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development." Carter has continued his decades-long active involvement with the charity Habitat for Humanity, which builds houses for the needy. He can actually be found participating in the construction of these houses.

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