39. President of The United States, Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter: Jimmy Carter aspired to make a "competent and compassionate" government, in response to the American people and their expectations. His achievements were remarkable, but in an era of rising energy costs, inflation amount, and continuing tensions, it was impossible for administration meet these expectations so high. Carter, who has rarely used his full name - James Earl Carter, Jr. - was born on October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia. Peanut farming, talk politics, and devotion to the Baptist faith were the mainstay of their education. For his graduation in 1946 from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, Carter married Rosalynn Smith was. The Carters have three sons, John William (Jack), James Earl III (chip), Donnel Jeffrey (Jeff), and a daughter, Amy Lynn. After seven years of service as a naval officer, Carter returned to Plains. In 1962 he entered state politics, and eight years later he was elected governor of Georgia. Among the new young southern governors, he attracted attention by emphasizing ecology, efficiency in government, and the removal of racial barriers. Carter announced his candidacy for President in December 1974 and began a two-year campaign that gradually gained momentum. At the Democratic convention, he was nominated on the first ballot. He chose Senator Walter F. Mondale the Minnesota as his running mate. Carter had campaigned hard against President Gerald R. Ford, debating with him three times. Carter won by 297 votes to 241 votes against Ford.

Carter worked hard to combat the continuing economic woes of inflation and unemployment. By the end of his administration, he could claim an increase of nearly eight million jobs and a reduction of the budget deficit, measured under the percentage of gross national product. Unfortunately, inflation and interest rates were close to the heights of the records, and efforts to reduce them caused a short recession. Carter could point to a number of achievements in domestic affairs. He dealt with the energy shortage by establishing a national energy policy and thuggin domestic oil prices to stimulate production. He sought government effectiveness through Civil Service Reform and proceeded with deregulation of trucking industries and airlines. He tried to improve the environment. Expansion of the national park system included protection of 103 million acres of land in Alaska. To increase human and social services, he created the Department of Education, encouraged the Social Security system, and pointed record numbers of women, blacks, and Hispanics in government jobs. In extrajeros affairs, Carter set his own style. His defense of human rights was received coldly by the Soviet Union and some other nations. In the Middle East, through the Camp David agreement of 1978, he helped bring peace between Egypt and Israel.

He succeeded in obtaining ratification of the Panama Canal treaties. It built on the work of predecessors, established full diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China and ended the negotiations on the nuclear limitation treaty SALT II with the Soviet Union. There were serious setbacks, however. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan caused the suspension of plans for ratification of the SALT II agreement. The event staff hostage embassy of the United States in Iran dominated the news during the last 14 months of the administration. The consequences to Iran have captive Americans, along with the continued inflation in the country, he contributed to Carter's defeat in 1980. Even then, he continued the difficult negotiations on the hostages. Iran finally released the 52 Americans the same day Carter left office. After leaving the White House, Carter returned to Georgia, where in 1982 he founded the Carter Center, a nonprofit institution in Atlanta to promote peace and human rights worldwide. The center has initiated projects in more than 65 countries to resolve conflicts, prevent human rights abuses, build democracy, improve health, and revitalize urban areas. He and his wife, Rosalynn, still reside in Plains.