Despite having trouble at home with enacting a largepositive influence, issues abroad were another matter. In 1977, Carter was able to broker two U.S. treaties with Panama; the following year, whichslowly transferred power of the canal out of U.
S. hands and back into Panama.He then presided over a tough round of meetings between Egypt’s President Anwarel-Sadat and Israel’s Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David (Smith, 1986)1.They were able to reach an agreement titled the Camp David Accords which endedthe state of war between the two nations which had endured since Israel wasestablished in 1948, through acting as a mediator between the two countries.
Carter also reopened diplomatic relations between the United States and China,which had broken down during the Watergate scandal, while breaking ties withTaiwan, and opened up trade with China. The signing of the bilateral strategic arms limitation treaty ,SALT II,with the Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev was another huge accomplishment. Someexperts believe this agreement was a beginning step towards the close of thecold war with the Soviet Union (Shikun, 2015)2. With multiple successes,abroad Carter’s administration still received much media backlash for beingineffective which feels like it was unjust with so many importantstrides forward it is easy to debate that he was in fact effective.However, despite the many successes not allforeign affairs during the Carter presidency went so smoothly. In November1979, a mob of Iranian students stormed the U.
S. embassy in Tehran andkidnapped its diplomatic staff, taking them hostage as part of a protestagainst the arrival in the United States of the overthrown Iranian shah,Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, to receive necessary medical treatment that wasgranted by President Carter. The students had earned the support of Iran’srevolutionary government, who was led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (Trenta,2013)3.Carter stood strong in the tense standoff that followed, but his inability tofree the hostages led his administration to be perceived as incompetent andinefficient. Unfortunately, this perception was only increased when the failureof a secret United States Military operation failed in April of 1980, though itis debated whether this is entirely Carters fault because if additionalhelicopters were used it would compromise the security. And with growingconcerns at home with the impendingenergy crisis and unemployment rates.
While not all of his foreign affairs weresuccess stories, during his time in office therewas a much greater positive mark then where his administration wasunsuccessful, however the public during this time did not have the same pointof view, though many expert opinions have shifted in more recent years.PresidentCarter appointed 41 female judges during his time, which was five times as manyas all his predecessors combined. In doing this Carter set a precedent forthose who followed him and since his presidency, with the notable exception ofReagan, every President has surpassed Carter’srecord (Slonim, 1980)4.And each one built upon his predecessor with President Barack Obama having themost appointments.
Additionally, President Carter revived a long-dormantpractice of Presidential mediation in disputes between other nations, somethingevery succeeding chief executive has emulated to varying degrees, elevating theUnited States as peacekeepers. Many important treaties and negotiations have developedas a result of these actions (Azari, 2015)5.These are the actions thatmay have not only increased the power of the President but changed the way theoffice is run and viewed by not only the United States of America but also therest of the world. Seeing we must lead by example if we are not allowing theadvancement of women and helping to keep peace then there is no right to expectanyone else to do the same.
