Jimmy Carter 1976 Election Gerald Ford Republican Incumbent

Jimmy Carter

1976 Election Gerald Ford Republican Incumbent Never Elected to his first term • Jimmy Carter – Democrat – Navy – Nuclear Engineer/Peanut Farmer – Governor – Washington Outsider

1976 Election

Trusteeship Presidency

Economic Indecision • Still Dealing with Stagflation • First, Increases government spending and cut taxes to reduce unemployment • Inflation Skyrockets • In 1978, Carter suspends his own tax cut • Vetoes spending programs that he himself had proposed.

Energy • The Iraq-Iran War in 1979 causes gas prices to again to jump. This time even higher • Source: Office of Trade and Economic Development, Washington state. Available at: http: //www. cted. wa. gov/energy/archive/FILES/PRFL/docs/key 09/k 09 page. htm

Carter Approval Ratings

Malaise Speech (Crisis of Confidence Speech) Suggests that the government cannot fight this battle alone. American people must conserve more and spend less. The American people interpret this as weakness and this is seen as one of the lowest points in American History.

Carter’s Successes Panama Canal Turns over to Panama. Will not take place until 2000

Carter’s Successes Arab/Israeli conflict May 1948: UN Partition Plan creates separate Israel and Palestine States 1948 Arab-Israeli War 1956 Suez War Israel Attacks Egypt 1967 Six Days war Egypt; Jordan; Syria; Iraq; Palestine Egypt; Jordan; Syria 1973 Yom Kippur War Egypt; Syria

Carter’s Successes Camp David Accords Carter negotiates the signing of the first peace agreement between an Arab nation (Egypt) and Israel. Menachem Begin- Israel Anwar Sadat- Egypt

Cold war heats up 1979 Soviet Union ended the Détente era by invading Afghanistan. Carter boycotts the 1980 Summer Olympics held in Moscow.

Iran Hostage Crisis Shah Pahlavi Ayatollah Khomeini 1979 -A political coup led by Islamic fundamentalist Ayatollah Khomeini overthrew the Pro-West Shah of Iran

Iran Hostage Crisis After Being Ousted, the Shah is allowed into the US to seek treatment for cancer. In response, Iranian students rushed the US embassy in Tehran and take 52 Americans hostage. 6 Other members of the embassy are able to escape and hide in the Canadian Embassy American Hostages Paraded in Tehran

Khomeini: Spiritual leader, April 8, 1979

Iran Crisis Rescue Mission Eight helicopters attempt rescue mission Due to a mathematical error, the rescue helicopters do not have enough fuel. Carter Aborts the Mission The mission is canceled and Helicopters are ordered to refuel and return. Malfunctions during refueling leave only six helicopters to finish the mission. One helicopter crashes…HUGE FAILURE!

Iran Crisis Throughout 1979 -1980, an election year, Carters public opinion continues to fall. Eventually the Hostages are released after 444 days of captivity. The day that Ronald Reagan was sworn into office.