FREE ESSAY ON JIMMY CARTER

JIMMY CARTER

Jimmy Carter
The Carter Center in Atlanta Georgia is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public institute founded
by former U.S. president Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in 1982 (Carter 
Center). The Center in dedicated to fighting disease, hunger, poverty, conflict, and
oppression. At present, the Center operates 13 core programs, which have touched the
lives of people in 65 countries, including the U.S.
Habitat for Humanity began in 1984 when Carter led a work group to New York City to
renovate a six-story building with 19 families in need of descent shelter. Each year,
Jimmy and Rosalynn give a week of their time to build homes. "We have become small
players in an exciting global effort to alleviate the curse of homelessness," Carter said
(Carter and Habitat).
As president, Carter was deeply committed to social justice and human rights. He and his
wife Rosalynn left the White House in search of meaningful ways to contribute in these
areas. Ultimately, Carter focused his work toward charitable contributions, and
non-profit work.
Jimmy Carter was born on October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia. Carter's father, a farmer
and businessman, ran a farm products store on the family farm in the rural community of
Archery, a few miles west of Plains Georgia ("Jimmy Carter"). The Carters lived in Plains
when Jimmy was born. Four years later, they moved to the farm in Archery. Jimmy grew up
there and helped with the farm chores during his boyhood. 
Jimmy went to public school in Plains. His favorite subjects included history,
literature, and music. As a teenager, he played on the high school basketball team. In
1941, following graduation from high school, Carter entered Georgia Southwestern College
in Americus. In 1942, he was appointed to the United States Navel Academy.
Carter met Rosalynn Smith, best friend of his sister Ruth. In the summer after graduation
they were married. By the early 1950's Carter and his wife had three sons.
In 1962, Carter entered the race for the Democratic nomination for the Georgia Senate. He
lost by a few votes, partly because of fraud that included stuffed ballot boxes. Carter
pursued his appeals until he was declared the winner of the primary. In spite of all the
confusion, Carter won the election.
As a state senator, Carter advocated planning in government, and programs to help the
poor and the disadvantaged. He was reelected in 1964. In 1971, Carter was inaugurated as
governor of Georgia. Carter introduced policies that helped change the government and
society. He supported integration, appointed many blacks to posts in state government.
During his administration, the number of black appointees on major state boards and
agencies increased from 3 to 53. The number of black state employees rose by about 40 per
cent. Carter also established a project to honor notable black Georgians. He promoted
prison reform and mental health programs. 
During his term as governor Carter traveled widely and began to believe that he was well
qualified to run for president. In late 1974, Carter announced that he was a candidate
for president.
When Carter began his national campaign, he was not as well known as the other
candidates, However, he entered 26 of 27 preferential primaries and finished first in 17
of them ("Jimmy Carter"). 
At the Democratic convention in New York City in July 1976, Carter received the
nomination on the first ballot. As his vice-presidential running mate, he chose Walter F.
Mondale, a United States senator from Minnesota.
In an inaugural speech that emphasized old-fashioned virtues, Carter quoted from a Plains
schoolteacher,: "We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles
("Jimmy Carter")." Carter defeated Ford by 1,682,970 popular votes ("Carter World
Book").
In 1978, inflation became a major problem. In an attempt to fight inflation, Carter urged
businesses to avoid big price increases, but this had little effect on it.
During that year, Carter won congressional approval of a national energy program. In
1977, Congress adopted the president's proposal to establish a new executive department,
the Department of Energy. The energy legislation was designed largely to reduce U.S. oil
imports. The legislation included tax penalties for owners of automobiles that used
excessive amounts of gasoline.
In March 1980, Carter announced a new program to fight inflation. The program included
cuts in federal spending, and a tax on imported oil. This caused the inflation percentage
to go down.
Carter established many other programs in his later years. The International
Democratization and Development included programs such as Commission on Radio and
Television Policy, Conflict Resolution, Global Development Initiative, Human Rights
Program, and Latin American and Caribbean Program . The Global and Domestic Health
included programs such as Agriculture, Guinea Worm Eradication Program, Interfaith Health
Program, Mental Health Program, Not even one, River Blindness Program, and Task for Child
Survival and Development.
Carter attracted worldwide attention in 1977, when he strongly supported the struggle for
human rights in the Soviet Union and other nations. He banned U.S. aid to some nations
whose governments he believed to be violating human rights.
After loosing the 1980 election, Carter returned to Plains and founded the Carter Center
of Emory University. In the mid-1980's, Carter worked as a volunteer carpenter on several
projects for Habitat for Humanity, an organization that builds houses for the poor.