Dr. Samuel B. Hoff is a George Washington Distinguished Professor Emeritus and an internship coordinator in the Department of History, Political Science, Philosophy and Law Studies at Delaware State University. A specialist on the American presidency, he served in three congressional staff positions from 1978-86.
From nuclear sub naval officer to Georgia state senator, from peanut farmer to Georgia governor, from U.S. president to Habitat for Humanity volunteer, Jimmy Carter played many roles in life. To his credit, his postpresidential activities and longevity boosted his popularity in the eyes of most Americans. He crossed the century mark in age last October, then voted for the final time, before passing on the last Sunday of 2024.
Most immediate commentary on Carter’s life will focus on his presidency, which many regard as a failure. But a comprehensive assessment of his service as chief executive contradicts any one-sided conclusion.
Jimmy Carter changed the dynamics of presidential campaigning, starting two years out. After his successful 1976 campaign, others were modeled after the Carter playbook.
Once elected, Carter treated his vice president, Walter Mondale, as a partner, and Mondale’s experience in the Senate helped the Carter White House steer legislation through Congress. Such utilization of the vice president was a stark change from previous administrations. In a eulogy that he planned to deliver for Carter before his own demise, Mondale credits Carter for his environmental record, among other accomplishments.
Though Richard Nixon deserves credit for opening a conduit to China with his 1972 trip, it was the Jimmy Carter administration that actually normalized relations with China. Other major foreign policy triumphs included the 1978 Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt and the Strategic Arms Litigation Talks II treaty with Russia, both of which were later mitigated by events.
Though Jimmy Carter did not have the opportunity to appoint any justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, his team won important cases pertaining to matters that occurred during his presidency. Additionally, the Carter Justice Department was on the winning side of a 1983 ruling on the legislative veto, which it had opposed during Carter’s term.
However, like George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Carter’s last year in office was a disaster, from the Iran hostage taking and subsequent failed rescue mission, to ballooning inflation, to negative stories about the president and his family. Carter lost the 1980 election to Ronald Reagan, winning the electoral vote in only six states.
Still, Jimmy Carter’s own humility and positive orientation brought integrity back to the presidency after the stain of Watergate and Richard Nixon’s resignation. While many Americans may not have appreciated those traits in 1980, they would as time went on, perpetuated by Carter’s selfless service as a mediator, advocate and builder. The Carter Center’s humanitarian and election-monitoring activities around the world made a huge impact, for which Carter himself was recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
A presidential greatness survey conducted two years ago by the Siena College Research Institute placed Jimmy Carter 24th out of 45 men who have served as chief executive, and another conducted this year by two scholars ranks Carter as No. 22 out of 45. While one-term presidents generally rank lower on such measures, it is likely that Carter will move up in ensuing generations, as his complete life and the era in which he served are reconsidered.
As a devout Christian who lived by the precepts of his religion — faith and forgiveness — there is no question how Jimmy Carter ranks with the Almighty.
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