During his inauguration, the then president Jimmy Carter started by congratulating the outgoing president known as Gerald Ford for all he had done in an attempt to heal the nation. It took place after the assassination even as the country was still recovering from the effects of the Vietnam War (Er services, n.d.). Jimmy Carter was, therefore, more favored and unlikely to be blamed for the previously enacted policies during the regime. Despite coming into office at a difficult time, America found itself in a dangerous economic situation with wrong publicity on the international stage. While a lot of resources had been used to reclaim the Cuban island from the communist domination, it became apparent that the American’s didn’t manage to overcome the Cuban regime thus only exposing its weakness to the world. It also made it vulnerable to unprecedented attacks, with the Soviet Union trying to reinforce its authority (Steensland, 2008). America did not only face a challenging experience at the international stage but was also taken through a tight encounter with its citizens clamoring for change.
Carter’s policy approach differed significantly from his predecessor in that while a hostile relationship existed while dealing with the communist nations with China as well as Russia being on the receiving end. He focused much on improving America’s experience with the intention of steering economic growth. This was demonstrated by his pursuit to oversee a peace agreement between Israel and Egypt after a war encounter and was believed they were likely to continue with their hostile kind of relationship. The move was also meant to strengthen America's relationship with the Latin Americans and also led to the signing of the Panama Canal agreement. Eventually, this was aimed at ensuring a peaceful coexistence to strengthen trade ties as well as mutual cooperation. He also demonstrated support for the Taliban in a move aimed at enhancing their ability to undermine the Soviet advancement into Afghanistan. America thus didn’t have to overstretch its military while seeking to defend such territories only implying that a lot of focus was going to be directed at improving their economy.
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A lot of focus was also directed at ensuring America acted morally right while dealing with other countries during the reign of Carter. This was significant because of its capacity to inspire the rest of the world to consider embracing the setting up of institutions which were above reproach. On the other hand, this was not the case with Nixon’s foreign policy. To a great extent, Nixon’s reign was focused much on emphasizing on the need to ally with other nations without even observing how such countries conducted themselves in as far as human rights violation is concerned (Enotes.com, n.d.). This led to the rise of corruption and bad governance which also made it hard for those in power to be held accountable for their actions. It was also common to find flaws in how Nixon’s approach was flawed and similar to his adversaries thus rarely depicted the American values.
In conclusion, Carter’s policies were more idealist as opposed to inclining more on the use of force as was the case with Nixon’s reign (History.com, n.d.). A lot can, therefore, be learned from how the two leaders played their role in shaping America’s history. Carter, however, stood out as an impressive leader while contributing to the strengthening of ties with other nations owing to the improved foreign policies during his regime. America has also embraced such policies in its pursuit of freedom and democratization of the world.
References
Steensland, B. (2008). The failed welfare revolution: America's struggle over guaranteed income policy . Princeton: Princeton University Press.
“How did President Carter's foreign policy approach differ from that of Nixon and of Ford? Also, which do you believe was more effective and why” (n.d). Enotes.com. Retrieved from https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/how-did-president-carters-foreign-policy- approach-130753
“Jimmy Carter in the Aftermath of the Storm” (n.d). Er services. Retrieved from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-ushistory2os2xmaster/chapter/jimmy-carter-in- the-aftermath-of-the-storm/
“Kennedy and Nixon debate Cold War foreign policy” (n.d). History.com. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/kennedy-and-nixon-debate-cold-war- foreign-policy
