Jimmy Carter

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Jimmy Carter

• 25.5

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• Carter, former Georgia governor defeated the
  incumbent Ford in 1976
• Current office holder

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Carters Presidency

• No previous national political experience
• Appointed more women minorities to his staff
  than previous presidents
• 12 Women, 12 African American, 4 Hispanic

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• Washington outsider
• White House staff other advisors were
  southerners w/o national experience
• Little sense of the importance to work w/
  Congress
• Couldnt get much passed

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Carters Domestic Policies

• Economic Issues
• Attempted deficit spending
• As the deficit grew the FED (Federal Reserve
  Board) increased the money supply Inflation
  rose
• Cut back social programs to reduce spending

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• Deregulation
• Reduction or removal of government controls in
  several industries
• Believed govt hurt competition and increased
  consumer costs
• Removed price controls (oil, natural gas)
  regulation on the RR, trucking, and airlines

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• Energy Issues
• Created a new Cabinet dept. (Dept. of Energy)
• Coordinated the federal programs promoting
  conservation and researching new energy sources
• Conservation is the moral equivalent of war

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• National Energy Act (78)
• Tax sales of inefficient, gas-guzzling, cars
• Convert new utilities to fuels other than oil or
  natural gas

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• Deregulate prices for domestic oil natural gas
• Provide tax credits or loans to homeowners for
  using solar energy and improving the insulation
  in their homes
• Fund research for alternative energy sources such
  as solar energy and synthetic fuels

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• Nuclear power as an alternative
• Questions around costs and safety
• Three Mile Island, Harrisburg, PA
• Meltdown of reactor core leaked radiation
• People fled their homes

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• Civil Rights Issues
• Granted amnesty to those who avoided the draft
  during Vietnam
• A general pardon

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• Regents of the U. of Cal. v. Bakke
• Under affirmative action program the medical
  school of UC-Davis reserved 16 of 100 slots in
  each class for disadvantaged students
• Policy that gives special consideration to women
  and members of minority groups to make up for
  past discrimination
• Bakke (white) was not accepted, claimed
  discrimination (violation 14th amend.)
• Sup. Ct. required Bakkes admission but did not
  overturn affirmative action, handle it
  case-by-case

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Carters Foreign Policy

• Support for human rights the cornerstone policy
• Camp David Accords
• 1978 agreement b/w Israel Egypt that made a
  peace treaty b/w the two nations
• Israel pulls out of Sinai penninsula, Egypt
  recognizes Israels existence as a nation

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• Soviet-American Relations
• Carter angered Soviets w/ his stand on civil
  rights
• Carter supported Soviet dissidents
• Writers and other activists who criticized the
  actions of their government
• Soviet citizens denied the right to speak freely
  or criticize political leaders

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• Soviets invaded Afghanistan to bolster a
  Soviet-supported govt
• Carter halted American shipments to USSR
• Boycotted 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow (60 other
  nations also)
• They came to Lake Placid, NY for Winter Games
  (Miracle)

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• Iran Hostage Crisis
• Revolution in 79 left Iran w/ anti-Western,
  strict Islamic govt
• Fleeing king came to US Iran demanded his
  return US didnt comply
• Iran raided American Embassy

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• Prisoners blindfolded, tied-up, and beaten
• Attempted commando rescue failed
• King died and Iran released the prisoners
  following Ronald Reagans election win (1980)
• Prisoners only allowed to return on Reagans 1st
  day of office