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We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles.

Inaugural Address, January 20, 1977

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Legacy

Carter was elected to the presidency without having had any previous federal government political experience. In the aftermath of Watergate, many people looking for dramatic change appreciated his outsider status and attitude. As president he was committed to maintaining his independence from party leaders, but his distance sometimes proved detrimental in dealing with Congress. Nevertheless, Carter attempted to control the energy crisis by creating the Department of Energy and a national energy policy. He appealed directly to the public regarding the need to reduce consumption on an individual level. Carter also strengthened environmental protection laws, expanded the national park system to protect 103 million acres of Alaskan wilderness, and signed legislation to ensure the financial solvency of Social Security.

Many believe Carter’s most significant achievement to be the Camp David Accords of 1978. Over a period of 13 days Carter mediated discussions between Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel and President Anwar Sadat of Egypt at Camp David. These personal talks resulted in a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt that ended the state of war that had existed since 1948.