Jimmy Carter’s legacy seems to improve with age | History News

On Oct 1, 2021

As former US President Jimmy Carter turns 97 on Friday, one of the gifts he will enjoy is a reappraisal of his political image, especially how his achievements in the White House are now viewed.

“His accomplishments are seen better, and his failures are less remembered,” said Jonathan Alter, author of, His Very Best. Jimmy Carter, A Life.

“There is this historical reappraisal … he is getting a fresh look” mainly because, Alter added, because of his longevity he is being assessed with a longer view allowing more perspective.

While Carter’s overall image has greatly improved in the decades since he left the Oval Office, several historians said his policy achievements while in office are now getting new respect.

“I’m glad to know that people are remembering that, during my administration, we tried to keep the peace. And we cherished our human rights,” Carter told the PBS NewsHour in July of this year.

“We came out of the White House completely satisfied with the way we had acted in the trial that we made to overcome difficulties. And most of the time, we succeeded. At least we thought we did.”

Several experts cited former President Trump as a key reason for this reexamination of Carter’s record.

“Trump lied with such stark regularity. Carter’s calling card was bedrock honesty. So the difference between the two men could not have been greater,” said presidential historian Douglas Brinkley, author of, The Unfinished Presidency, which examined Carter’s journey.

“As people look back on Jimmy Carter, with what we have just been through with Donald Trump, that seems especially good,” Barbara Perry, director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center for Public Affairs, said. “He is the one who re-legitimised the presidency and didn’t lie to the American people. He came through with what he said” he would do while campaigning, such as promising not to be a Washington insider.

Among the Carter presidential actions now receiving more recognition for their importance and global impact:

The Camp David Accords – The agreement between Israel and Egypt is seen, especially in later years, as key to preventing a war in the Middle East and helping to pave the way for some dialogue between Israel and some of the Arab states, although it excluded the Palestinians.
Normalisation of relations with China – While Richard Nixon made the famous trip to help open the dialogue, Carter’s move paved the way for a formal relationship with China.
The 1977 Panama Canal Treaty – The turning over of the strategic canal is seen as a major benefit to US policy towards Latin America.
Human Rights – While it was criticised at the time, Carter’s push for prioritising human rights in…