The Carter Years

Jimmy Carter was elected to the presidency in 1976. His administration faced immediate challenges: the American economy was in flirting with recession and the country was on the brink of an energy crisis. Despite Carter's efforts, inflation and unemployment increased and the economy further stagnated. The energy crisis, which led to a sharp rise in the price of imported oil, only deepened the country's economic problems.

In foreign affairs, Carter called for a new commitment to human rights, using diplomatic and economic pressure on countries that violated the rights of their citizens. Some American diplomats opposed Carter's policy, warning that U.S. interference in other country's domestic affairs might lead to international tensions.

Carter's biggest victory in international affairs was his assistance in negotiating the Camp David Accords, a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. Carter's greatest failure was his inability to free fifty-three American hostages...