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Jimmy Carter39th President of the United States (1977-81), Democrat
Date of Birth: 01.10.1924
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Biography of Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter, born James Earl Carter Jr. on October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia, was the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981. He was a Democrat and his style of governance was a conscious reaction to the excesses of the "imperial" Nixon administration.

Carter's presidency began with symbolic gestures, such as walking from the Capitol to the White House instead of riding in a limousine, selling the presidential yacht, and discontinuing the playing of the presidential anthem. He wanted to distance himself from the extravagant practices of previous administrations. At first, these gestures gained him popularity, but later, the public yearned for substance behind the form, and his opponents found it difficult to be convinced or pressured due to his lack of presidential representation.

Carter promised to lead the nation politically and psychologically out of the abyss of humiliation they experienced after the Watergate scandal and the ignominious end of the Vietnam War during Ford's presidency. He presented himself as a morally clean, honest president who would lead the nation based on traditional American values and virtues. He positioned himself as a simple, unpretentious man from the people, untouched by Washington and big politics.

In the bicentennial year, when the United States proudly celebrated its 200th anniversary of independence, Americans were receptive to this message. However, Carter was not the ideal candidate for the post-Watergate and post-Vietnam era. The political system, in response to the painful experience, began to set limits on presidential power. They needed a more experienced politician with overwhelming electoral support to successfully navigate the dramatically changed circumstances. This contradiction, caused by Watergate, of electing a political novice as president, while the presidency required an excellent politician, became the central dilemma of Carter's presidency. It explained his difficulties in office, which led to rapid ups and downs in his political career.

Jimmy Carter grew up in a relatively well-off family in the small town of Plains, Georgia. His father was a politically conservative peanut farmer, and his mother, known only as Miss Lillian, was an exceptionally enlightened individual for her time and region. She was a nurse by profession and, at the age of 68, worked for two years in India as part of the Peace Corps. Carter learned about political activism from his mother, and during his presidency, he gave her a prominent role as the "first mother."

Having grown up during World War II, Carter successfully entered the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis in 1943. He completed his education in 1946 and immediately married his childhood friend Rosalynn Smith. Rosalynn Carter became a reliable support to her husband during the difficult times that followed. Although her unusually close relationship with her husband raised eyebrows, she established herself as the "first lady."

Jimmy Carter initially aspired to a career as a naval officer, but his career as a submarine navigator was cut short in 1953 when his father died and he decided, against his wife's wishes, to take over the family peanut business in Plains. There, he became a millionaire and found time for political and social activism. He underwent a religious conversion to a different faith and publicly declared himself a "born-again" Christian. Inspired by heated debates over the civil rights of black Americans, Carter initially engaged in political activism at the local level in education. In 1963, he took a step into state politics. In the Georgia State Senate, he predominantly represented a liberal position. However, when he ran for governor in 1970, he tactfully sought support from opponents of the civil rights movement. Upon taking office, he declared, "The time for racial discrimination is over." Although his opponents noted the opportunistic methods Carter used to pave his political path, it gained him national attention.
In the run-up to the 1972 elections, Carter, representing the "new" enlightened and industrialized South, sought the position of vice president, but the presidential candidate, George McGovern, coldly rejected him. In response, Carter decided to run for president himself as a Democrat in 1976. Three decisive factors contributed to the success of this obvious outsider. With the fear of Nixon's machinations still fresh, Americans did not trust their professional politicians. The Democratic Party institutionalized the need for a man from the people, dramatically increasing the number of preliminary elections and proportionally dividing the votes among the candidates. To eliminate the detrimental influence of large sums of money on presidential elections, public financing of pre-election campaigns was introduced in 1976, with simultaneous limitations on contributions and expenses. These factors allowed an unknown Southern governor to participate successfully in the elections. After his nomination, Carter had a 30% lead over President Ford among voters and eventually won with a 2% margin.
Even before his inauguration on January 20, 1977, Carter faced the main dilemma of his presidency. As a political novice, he had to seek cooperation with the traditional political elite while still trying to maintain his image and ideals of a "different" kind of politics. However, he soon found himself in danger of succumbing to the pressure to conform to the "usual politics." This became evident when he had to appoint well-known establishment figures to important positions in his administration, particularly in domestic and foreign policy. However, he surrounded himself in the White House with mostly young, inexperienced staff familiar to him from his time as governor. Vice President Walter Mondale was supposed to bridge the gap and become a reliable support for the administration, which he indeed proved to be.
Carter's governing style was a conscious reaction to the excesses of the "imperial" Nixon administration. On his inauguration day, he walked from the Capitol to the White House instead of riding in a limousine, sold the presidential yacht, stopped the playing of the presidential anthem, carried his own luggage, and menus at state receptions were no longer in French. At first, Carter gained some popularity with these symbolic gestures. However, later, the public demanded substance behind the form, and his opponents found it difficult to be convinced or pressured due to his lack of presidential representation.
Another hindrance was his rejection of a White House chief of staff (a position tainted by Nixon's chief of staff, Haldeman). Carter wanted to establish a sort of cabinet government but wanted to keep all the reins of power in his hands. However, cabinet discipline is not characteristic of the American system, and it quickly collapsed in this case. The President, although intellectually competent and diligent in the performance of his duties, was unable to handle it, and his staff got entangled in positional battles and various scandals. When Carter reorganized the White House towards the end of his presidency, restoring the traditional exercise of power (including advertising and informational campaigns), it was too late to restore his damaged authority. His unique style of governance had turned him into a figure of little Jimmy, as depicted by political cartoonists.
Carter was born again in Christ and became involved in religious activism, which led to his involvement in the political sphere. As a progressive-minded Southern Democrat, he initially focused on education reform and embarked on a political career at the state level. He successfully won the position of governor of Georgia in 1970, positioning himself as a progressive leader who aimed to address the state's racial and social inequalities.
During his presidency, Carter faced numerous challenges, both domestically and internationally. The economy was severely affected by the Vietnam War and the first oil crisis, with inflation reaching double digits. Carter, who was relatively conservative in terms of tax policy, was reluctant to pursue deficit spending. Consequently, he had to significantly increase interest rates, which proved to be ineffective. Moreover, a second oil crisis further worsened the situation, leading to internal dissatisfaction and a deep crisis in Carter's presidency in the summer of 1979. His energy policy, aimed at making the United States energy independent, had already failed due to resistance in Congress. Similarly, his proposals for radical healthcare and social security reforms failed to gain support from his party allies, particularly Senator Edward Kennedy, who obstructed Carter's reforms with his demands for higher taxes.
In addition to domestic challenges, Carter faced urgent foreign policy issues. During his campaign, Carter emphasized the importance of human rights in the Soviet Union and the "Third World." However, he first had to fulfill a series of intentions initiated by his predecessors. The achieved results, however, were controversial and earned Carter little approval. One significant achievement was the peace agreement between Israel and Egypt, which made possible American-Egyptian rapprochement. Carter played a decisive role in accelerating the dialogue between Israeli Prime Minister Begin and Egyptian President Sadat, inviting them to his Camp David retreat for thirteen days of negotiations. In September 1978, a peace agreement was reached, and its signing in the "Rose Garden" of the White House on March 26, 1979, was the pinnacle of Carter's presidency. However, the hope aroused by the Camp David Accords to find a solution to the Palestinian problem was initially unfulfilled. Nevertheless, Carter's involvement remained crucial for the progress of the peace process.
Efforts to improve relations with the Soviet Union proved to be even more challenging. Carter aimed to achieve two goals that were nearly incompatible: arms control agreements and Soviet concessions on human rights. Pursuing these goals, he constantly clashed with domestic opponents and skeptical European allies.
In the end, a second Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT-II) was signed in June 1979, but the reduction was significantly lower than Carter initially desired. The signing of this treaty was facilitated by a certain relaxation of the human rights policy and the use of the "China card." In December 1978, Carter achieved normalization of relations with the People's Republic of China (at the cost of severing diplomatic relations with Taiwan), a highly controversial move from a domestic political standpoint.
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in late 1979 dashed all hopes, completely undermining the beginnings of the policy of détente. Although the Carter administration immediately provided covert support to the Afghan resistance and imposed a series of sanctions (including suspending grain sales to the Soviet Union and boycotting the 1980 Moscow Olympics), these actions were insufficient to compel the Soviet Union to make concessions or save Carter's authority. SALT-II was not ratified (although its provisions were silently observed).
Carter's presidency was marked by numerous challenges and failures, both domestically and internationally. His unconventional governance style challenged Congress, and his policies often faced resistance from within his own party. The combination of economic crises, foreign policy obstacles, and internal political squabbles undermined his presidency and led to a decline in his authority. Carter left office in January 1981, defeated in his bid for re-election by Ronald Reagan. Despite his challenges and failures, Carter continued to be involved in humanitarian work, focusing on international conflict resolution, health, and human rights.