| | [[Image:Carter1977.jpg|thumb|250px|President Carter's inauguration, 01/20/77]]On taking office Carter proposed radical energy programs, redistributive tax reform, public campaign financing, a consumer protection agency (that Ralph Nader had long championed), labor law reform, and enactment of the [[Equal Rights Amendment]]. He fought with fellow Democrats in [[Congress]] and achieved little or nothing. Meanwhile "stagflation" hit the economy hard, as energy shortages, slow growth, escalating inflation and very high interest rates sapped the economy. | | [[Image:Carter1977.jpg|thumb|250px|President Carter's inauguration, 01/20/77]]On taking office Carter proposed radical energy programs, redistributive tax reform, public campaign financing, a consumer protection agency (that Ralph Nader had long championed), labor law reform, and enactment of the [[Equal Rights Amendment]]. He fought with fellow Democrats in [[Congress]] and achieved little or nothing. Meanwhile "stagflation" hit the economy hard, as energy shortages, slow growth, escalating inflation and very high interest rates sapped the economy. |
| − | It was worse in foreign affairs. Carter did broker a temporary peace in the Middle East, but was forced to abandon détente when the Russians began to exploit American weaknesses around the globe. Carter was forced to restart the [[Cold War]] when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979, but his belated actions validated the complaints of conservatives that he offered too little too late. meanwhile the nation was humiliated in Iran, where militants held American diplomats captive for 444 days, while Carter proved helpless. | + | It was worse in foreign affairs. Carter did broker a temporary peace in the Middle East, but was forced to abandon détente when the Russians began to exploit American weaknesses around the globe. Carter was forced to restart the [[Cold War]] when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979, but his belated actions validated the complaints of conservatives that he offered too little too late. Meanwhile the nation was humiliated in [[Iran]], where militants held American diplomats captive for 444 days, while Carter proved helpless. |