Jimmy Carter, the 39th US President, Dies at 100 | Global News Avenue

James Earl (Jimmy) Carter, the 39th President of the United States (1977-1981) and the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize winner, died at home. He wanted the government to be “competent and compassionate” but Hindered by soaring energy costs and the Iran hostage crisis. He is 100 years old.

fight inflation

During Carter’s Presidency stagflationthe economy was experiencing high inflation and slow economic growth. After taking office, he introduced the Economic Stimulus Appropriations Act of 1977.

The proposal calls for a $50 tax rebate for every citizen, a $900 million cut in corporate taxes and an increase in public works spending. The relatively limited spending in the bill reflects Carter’s fiscal conservatism and has drawn the ire of fellow Democrats who want more focus on unemployment rather than deficits.

As inflation worsened, in October 1978, Carter announced “Phase II” of the anti-inflation campaign, calling for voluntary wage and price controls. ”

The economic realities of the time forced Carter’s anti-inflationary policies to include reining in public spending, limiting the expansion of the welfare state, and delaying widespread tax cuts. “Writer W. Carl Biven in Carter Economics. “While Carter faced harsh criticism during his tenure, he accurately recognized the changing fiscal landscape and the need for Democratic policy shifts.”

In response to the 1979 energy crisis, the Carter administration established automobile mileage standards and deregulated the airline, trucking, and railroad industries. He instituted a national energy policy that deregulated oil prices. Reduced demand and increased supply caused oil prices to fall. He also created the U.S. Department of Energy to regulate the industry and fund research into alternative fuels.

foreign policy challenges

Two major events, the Camp David Accords and the Iran Hostage Crisis, shaped much of Carter’s foreign policy legacy.

On March 26, 1979, under Carter’s careful arrangement, Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin met at the presidential residence, and Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in Washington.

In November 1979, a group of Iranians took 66 American hostages in Tehran, triggering the Iran Hostage Crisis. Operation Eagle Claw, an attempt to rescue the hostages, ended in disaster, severely damaging Carter’s reputation. Ultimately, the hostages were not released until after Carter left office on January 20, 1981.

Ayatollah Khomeini and Iranian hardliners have long been believed to have acted alone in delaying the hostage releases to ensure Carter’s defeat. However, recent reports state new york times Ben Barnes, a longtime Texas politician, said he met with Middle Eastern leaders in the summer of 1980. Barnes said he was trying to send a message to Iran to delay the hostage release until after the election to ensure a Reagan win and a better deal for Iran.

Regardless, the hostage crisis, Carter’s appointment of Paul Volker as Fed chairman in 1979, and the resulting recession sealed Carter’s fate and ended his chances of re-election in 1980.

Carter’s legacy

In his post-presidential years, Carter established what many consider his greatest and most lasting legacy, a life of service to others. This included the founding of the Carter Center, teaching, writing numerous books, and his personal involvement with Habitat for Humanity.

In 2002, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for “decades of tireless efforts to peacefully resolve international conflicts, advance democracy and human rights, and promote economic and social development.”

After a series of hospitalizations, Carter, with the full support of his family, chose to discontinue treatment and return home to Plains to spend the remainder of his time in hospice care with his family.

Carter is the oldest president in U.S. history and is survived by 4 children, 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.